Brazil at the 2026 World Cup: Roster, Prediction, and Statistics

The Brazilian national team hasn't played in the World Cup final since 2002, although they are still considered one of the main favorites in every major tournament. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the five-time champions are, according to bookmakers, among the top 5 main contenders for the trophy.

Carlo Ancelotti has brought Neymar back into the national team, declined João Pedro, and half of the squad consists of players outside the top 5 European championships. What can we expect from a team that hasn't been able to win even a medal in the last five World Cups? Let's break down the roster and schedule of the five-time world champions and offer a forecast for Carlo Ancelotti's team's performance in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

In short:

• Brazil hasn't played in the World Cup final since 2002. The best result in the last five tournaments is fourth in 2014, although they surely want to forget the home World Cup as a nightmare. Despite the long break, "seleção" remains the most titled team on the planet.
• Carlo Ancelotti included Neymar, who hasn't played for the national team for almost three years, as well as Vinicius Junior, Rafinha, and Casemiro in the Brazilian squad. One of the brightest players of the season, João Pedro, Richarlison, Antony, and André Santos were left out.
• Bookmakers rate Brazil's chances of winning the World Cup at 11%, and the chances of reaching the final at 20%.
• In the group stage of the World Cup, Brazil will play against Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland.

Brazil's squad for the 2026 World Cup

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahçe), Weverton (Grêmio).

Defenders: Douglas Santos (Zenit), Alex Sandro, Danilo, Leo Pereira (all Flamengo), Gleison Bremer (Juventus), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), Roger Ibañez (Al Ahli), Marquinhos (PSG), Wesley Franca (AS Roma).

Midfielders: Lucas Paquetá (Flamengo), Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Fabinho (Al Ittihad), Danilo (Botafogo).

Forwards: Neymar (Santos), Luiz Henrique (Zenit), Endrick (Lyon), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), Rayan (Bournemouth).

Head coach: Carlo Ancelotti

Main Star

As always and everyThe previous World Cup in the 21st century will see the Brazilian team arrive in North America with a host of big names. Several players who have been contenders for the Ballon d'Or in the last two seasons stand out in the squad, including Vinicius Junior and Raphinha. However, Neymar's return could make for a stunningly beautiful story, as he hasn't played for the national team since 2023. It's clear that for the 34-year-old forward, the 2026 World Cup will be his last, so he will be the main star whenever he steps onto the field.

Brazil's Main Problem

Dependence on talented players, primarily on the wings of the attack. Difficulties can also be expected from the appearance of the main star - Neymar. Caprices, his first time working with Ancelotti, and a lack of respect for authorities could lead to difficulties in the locker room. However, let's be honest, Neymar will try to enjoy the 2026 tournament rather than turn it into a negative final chord.

Young Talent

Two players who will compete at the World Cup as stars under 20 years old in the Brazilian team will be Endrick and Rayan. The Lyon forward, who swapped his "royal" status for a stint in Ligue 1, has noticeably transformed with 8+8 in 21 games for the French club. 19-year-old Endrick will surely get his chance at the World Cup.

Who Will Miss the 2026 World Cup

Due to injuries, Rodrygo and Eder Militao will not play in the tournament. However, the loss of the two Real Madrid players was confirmed last spring, but the non-call-up of Joao Pedro, who scored 23 goals in 52 matches for Chelsea, has caused negative reactions towards Carlo Ancelotti. The coach responded promptly: "There are individual characteristics of players. I feel sorry for Joao Pedro, he had a great season, but we chose other players. He will have more chances in the future." The Italian coach probably also had in mind other Chelsea players (Andrea Santos and Estevao), as well as Richarlison and Antony.

Brazil's Form

Qualification

Last summer, the Brazilians secured their place in the final stage of the World Cup ahead of time, finishing fifth. Out of 18 qualification matches, the Brazilians, who were led by Ancelotti in May 2025, won eight and lost six. The other four games ended in a draw. The average performance of the "Selecao" in the qualification stage was not impressive - 1.33 goals scored per 0.94 conceded. The defensive performance improved after Ancelotti's arrival - in 3 out of 4 matches, Brazildid not miss.

Recent Results

After the completion of the qualifiers in the fall of 2026, the Brazilian team played six friendly matches: they successfully ended the games against South Korea (5:0), Senegal (2:0) and Croatia (3:1), drew with Tunisia (1:1), and lost to Japan (2:3) and France (1:2).

Preparation for the World Cup

Before flying out to the 2026 World Cup games, the Brazilians will play a control match against Panama in Rio de Janeiro (May 31), and then on June 6 against Egypt in Cleveland. The pentacampeões have never lost to either the Panamanians or the Egyptians in five games.

2026 World Cup Match Schedule

Brazil's chances of advancing from the group

Bookmakers have almost no doubt that the Brazilian team will advance to the World Cup playoffs, assuming that Ancelotti's team will leave the group with a 99% probability, and that they will do so from the first place – 83%.

Bookmakers' odds for the Brazilian team at the 2026 World Cup

Why Brazil may not win the World Cup

Such a question is logical to ask before every World Cup, considering the status of Brazilians: the team is again among the top 5 favorites, but there are almost no guarantees that Seleção will make it even to the quarterfinals, considering the introduction of the round of 16 stage. Among the obstacles that the team may face in the 2026 tournament:

• dependence on the flanks and the play of Vinicius Junior and Rafinha;
• nearly half of the players who do not play in top leagues (Saudi Arabia, Russia, Brazil, Turkey), which may affect the pace of the game against opponents from the top ten world teams;
• unstable midfield: Casemiro is not getting any younger, Bruno Guimaraes and Fabinho, with all due respect, cannot be considered as world-class midfielders.

Scores24's prediction for the Brazil team

The Scores24 editorial team has no doubt about the coaching talent of Carlo Ancelotti, but club football with a 9-month work distance and a short-term tournament in one month are absolutely different things. If we look at the potential grid of the Brazilian team, then already in the round of 16, the mostTheir likely opponent will be Japan (to whom Ancelotti has already lost a friendly match) or Sweden, in the round of 16 - Norway, Senegal or Ivory Coast, in the quarterfinals - England.

The Brazilians have many chances to stumble, but at first glance, the path to the semifinals may not be as difficult as in previous years. However, in 2022, the Latin Americans were knocked out by Croatia, in 2018 - by Belgium, in 2014 - they barely got past Chile and Colombia. Both Japan and Norway, and especially England, could pose problems for the Brazilians. The team has not reached the semifinals in 4 of the last 5 World Cups. Considering that the number of games is increasing and the path is getting thornier, our editorial choice is that Brazil will not make it to the semifinals. The betting odds for such an outcome start at 1.53*.

But the situation could get even more interesting if Brazil stumbles in the group stage. We cannot rule out the loss of points to Morocco, as the African team has already beaten the Brazilians three years ago. If Ancelotti's team does not finish first in the group, then already in the first round of the playoffs, their likely opponents will be the Netherlands, and they could face Germany or France in the bracket before the semifinals.

Additional choice for group stage matches: "low-scoring" football from Ancelotti's team. All of Brazil's group stage games in 2018 and 2022 ended with no more than two goals. The bookmakers offer odds of 1.85* for under 2.5 total goals in the Brazil - Morocco game. A good choice to start with.

More predictions for all the games of the 2026 World Cup will be available in the tournament section from June 9.

If you are interested in detailed analyses of the top teams' chances at the 2026 World Cup, you can read the text about France's chances.

*Odds are approximate, may vary in different bookmakers and are current at the time of publication