Brazil will be competing at the FIFA World Cup™ for a record-extending 23rd time next year. Indeed, the Seleção are the only side to have featured in every edition of the global showpiece, which is set to be staged for the first time across three host nations: Canada, Mexico and the USA.
The Canarinho will be pursuing their sixth World Cup title and their first since 2002. Their longest drought since they first clinched the prestigious crown in 1958 lasted 24 years – from 1970 to 1994 – and was brought to an end on American soil, so the Brazilians will be hoping that history repeats itself at the FIFA World Cup 26™, which will also be taking place in North America and 24 years after they last lifted the trophy.
Brazil’s coach: Carlo Ancelotti
Having taken the reins after leaving Real Madrid at the end of the 2024/25 season, Italian tactician Carlo Ancelotti is set to become the first foreigner to lead Brazil at a FIFA World Cup. Widely regarded as the most successful manager in club football, “Don Carlo” is now enjoying his first experience as a national-team head coach. However, this will not be his first taste of a World Cup as part of the coaching staff, having been Arrigo Sacchi’s assistant when Italy finished as runners-up in 1994 – to none other than Brazil.
Brazil’s World Cup 26 fixtures and group
Brazil will discover their group-stage opponents when the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26 takes place at the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC from 12:00 local time (14:00 in Brasilia) on Friday, 5 December.
How Brazil qualified for World Cup 26
The FIFA World Cup 26 qualifiers in South America saw all ten CONMEBOL nations face off in a round-robin league format. Brazil finished fifth to claim one of the six direct qualification berths on offer.
Full World Cup 26 match schedule
Brazil’s World Cup history
Brazil’s best World Cup
Having been crowned champions on five occasions – more than any other nation – choosing a best World Cup for Brazil is no easy task. Perhaps Mexico 1970 was the greatest of those triumphs. Their star-studded squad, featuring a lethal attacking cohort of Pele, Jairzinho, Tostao and Rivellino, won all their matches at the tournament and became the last team to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy after demolishing Italy 4-1 in the final.
Brazil’s last World Cup
In 2022, Brazil were eliminated by Croatia in the quarter-finals, mirroring their exit at the same stage four years earlier. After recording wins over Serbia and Switzerland, the Seleção were beaten by Cameroon in their final group-stage outing but still managed to top Group G and book their place in the knockouts. A comfortable Round-of-16 victory over Korea Republic – by a familiar 4-1 scoreline – teed up a quarter-final clash with 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia. The sides scored one apiece in extra time following a goalless 90 minutes, with the Brazilians sent packing after a 4-2 defeat on penalties.
Brazil’s first World Cup
Brazil were one of the seven South American teams that competed in the inaugural FIFA World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930. However, they failed to progress beyond the group stage following a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Yugoslavia. The Seleção’s standout player was Preguinho; the attacker scored three times in two games, including Brazil’s historic debut goal at the tournament.
Brazil’s World Cup top scorer
Two-time World Cup winner (1994 and 2002) Ronaldo Nazario is Brazil’s FIFA World Cup top scorer, with 15 goals across three of the four editions in which he featured in the squad (1998, 2002 and 2006). The two most important of those strikes came in the form of a second-half brace in Brazil’s 2-0 victory over Germany in the 2002 FIFA World Cup™ final. In 2006, he scored his 15th and final World Cup goal in a 3-0 win over Ghana. For eight years, he held the record for the most goals scored at the FIFA World Cup, until he was surpassed by Germany’s Miroslav Klose in 2014, who broke Ronaldo’s record against the Canarinho on Brazilian soil.
Brazil’s record World Cup appearance-maker
An emerging talent in the victorious 1994 team and captain of the side that earned Brazil their fifth star in 2002, Cafu made a total of 20 World Cup appearances across four editions for the Seleção, and only in his first tournament did he share his playing time, coming off the bench for seasoned veteran Jorginho in three contests at USA 1994. Cafu is also Brazil’s most-capped player across all competitions, with 150 appearances.
Brazil’s memorable World Cup moments
Just as it was difficult to choose “Brazil’s best World Cup”, we are also spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting their most memorable World Cup moments. Perhaps we ought to begin with the spectacular 1970 World Cup final display, particularly the final goal in their emphatic 4-1 victory over Italy at the Azteca: a masterclass in technical ability, joyful creativity and teamwork.
It was Pele’s crowning moment, cementing his status as “o rei” (“the king”) 12 years after the 1958 instalment in Sweden, when he had taken the hosts apart spectacularly in a 5-2 thrashing in the final. With Pele injured early in the tournament in Chile in 1962, Garrincha stepped up and delivered one of the most dazzling individual showings in World Cup history.
In more recent times, the dramatic penalty shoot-out triumph against the Azzurri in 1994 and the link-up play between the attacking trident of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho in 2002 will also live long in the memory.
Brazil’s biggest World Cup win
Brazil recorded their biggest World Cup win when they defeated Sweden 7-1 on 9 July 1950 at the recently opened Maracanã, with four goals from Ademir de Menezes. It was the first of three decisive battles for the host nation in the final round of that tournament, instilling confidence among Brazilian supporters. However, Uruguay would ultimately silence the home crowd with a comeback win in the final – a match that would go down in history as the Maracanazo. It would prove to be one of the Seleção’s most significant World Cup experiences, demonstrating that the five-time champions’ story is also intertwined with setbacks.
