Brazil are slipping further and further into crisis in the World Cup qualifiers. The record world champions are as bad as they have been for a long time.
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- Brazil surprisingly lost to Paraguay in the World Cup qualifiers. At the Chaco Defenders Stadium, the "Seleção" remained goalless and lost 1:0.
- The defeat on match day eight means Brazil slips to 5th place in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
- Above all, the attack around Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo and Endrick is frighteningly harmless.
For a long time, qualifying for the World Cup was a foregone conclusion for Brazil. In every campaign from 2006 to 2022, the Seleção finished first in the South American competition. In 2022, the Samba kickers scored 45 out of a possible 51 points. The 1-0 defeat to arch-rivals Argentina in November 2023 was the first ever home defeat in the World Cup qualifiers. Or in other words: In the last 19 years (2003-2022), Brazil lost only 5 times in 71 games.
However, there is no sign of their former superiority, and they reached the quarter-finals of this summer's Copa América. Ronaldinho criticized the Seleção even before the tournament: "This is perhaps one of the worst teams in recent years, it has no respectable leaders, just average players for the most part".
"I've been following football since I was a child, long before I thought about becoming a player, and I've never seen a situation as bad as this. There is a lack of love for the shirt, determination and the most important thing of all: football," complained the 2002 world champion.
Coach Dorival talks big - next failure to follow
Ronaldinho and Co. are now likely to be even more in panic mode. The five-time world champions were beaten 1-0 in Paraguay on Tuesday. This was the Seleção's fourth defeat in the last five qualifying matches and they are currently only fifth. The top six nations in the ten-team group qualify for the finals in two years' time in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The seventh-placed nation must take part in the international play-offs.
Brazil coach Dorival Júnior, who took over from the hapless Fernando Diniz at the start of the year, announced grandly before the game that his team would be in the final at the next World Cup (2026). Whether that was wise is doubtful given the current state of the record champions.
The mood of crisis has a lot to do with the absence of Neymar. The superstar has been out injured since October last year with a torn cruciate ligament. The absence of the difference-maker weighs heavily. Neymar has actually always delivered for the national team - 79 goals in 128 international matches.
Neymar missing - Vinícius overwhelmed
Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo and Endrick formed the attack against Paraguay - so on paper, the forward line is top-class. But on the pitch, the Real professionals were practically invisible.
Especially for Vinícius - who is one of the favorites for the Ballon d'Or - the Brazil jersey seems to be (too) much of a burden. You won't find any leading players at the moment. Brazil's captain is Danilo, for example - the veteran is currently only a supplementary player at Juve.
"Qualifying is not easy, it's a difficult time and we need to know how to deal with it. It's a time of transition and we lack confidence," admitted defender Marquinhos.
Coach Dorival urged patience: "Stay calm, we will first regain the confidence of the Brazilian national team. We have players of the highest caliber who play for the biggest clubs in European football and in Brazil. I'm not afraid to say that in two years' time we'll be a balanced, aggressive team, just like the fans expect us to be, and we'll certainly be more confident than we are now."
Dorival is not counting on the return of savior Neymar. "He has to play for his club again first. Until then, there's nothing we can do (...). We're hoping for his recovery, but we'll have to wait."
dpa
