Doubts still surround Ancelotti’s team for the competition that will start on June 11
Rivaldo scored five goals in the 2002 World Cup
The 2026 World Cup starts on June 11th and the team’s debut will be two days later against Morocco. The formation of the team by coach Ancelotti is still surrounded by doubts, mainly because of injuries to players like Militão and Rodrygo, certain absences. The definitive call-up will be within a week (the 18th) and fans are still waiting to find out, for example, whether Neymar will go or not. I decided to go back to the past to research cHere were the five Brazilian world champion teams at a time when there were 31 days left until the start of each World Cup.
May 8, 1958: Pelé’s trip to the World Cup was still in doubt
The day before, on May 7, the team, led by Vicente Feola, won the Oswaldo Cruz Cup, after a 0-0 draw against Paraguay, at Pacaembu. In the first game, at Maracanã, the team had beaten the opponent 5-1. The group had already been called up for the World Cup in Sweden, based on a list of 33 players announced by the coach on April 7th.
After the duels against Paraguay, Brazil won two friendlies with Bulgaria (the 14th and 18th) and beat Corinthians 5-0 in a friendly at Pacaembu. In this match, 17-year-old Pelé was injured and became a doubt for the World Cup. The team left for Europe on May 24th and the future King of football was only confirmed at the last minute. The debut in the World Cup took place on June 8 with a 3-0 victory over Austria.
April 29, 1962: already called up, the team played friendlies
Coach Aymoré Moreira had already called up the team for the World Cup in Chile (the first list, with 41 names, came out on March 18) and was in the preparatory period in the cities of Campos do Jordão, Friburgo and Serra Negra. In May 1962, the team, widely favored to win the World Cup, played four friendlies before leaving for Chile on the 20th of that month.
05/06/1962 – Brazil 2×1 Portugal – friendly – Morumbi
09.05.1962 – Brazil 1×0 Portugal – friendly – Maracanã
12.05.1962 – Brazil 3×1 Wales – friendly – Maracanã
16.05.1962 – Brazil 3×1 Wales – friendly – Pacaembu
Brazil debuted in the World Cup on May 30 with a 2-0 victory over Mexico.
April 30, 1970: change of coaches shakes the team
Coach João Saldanha, who qualified the team for the World Cup, was replaced by Zagallo on March 18, which shook the fans’ confidence. On April 29, the team played the last friendly before heading to Mexico: victory against Austria, at Maracanã, with a goal from Rivellino. Only in this game, the Brazilian coach found the basis for the world cup. The team played like this: Félix; Carlos Alberto, Brito, Piazza and Marco Antônio; Clodoaldo and Gerson; Rogério (Jairzinho), Tostão, Pelé and Rivellino (Dario). In the World Cup, the starter on the left was Everaldo and the one on the right was Jairzinho. Rogério, from Botafogo, traveled to Mexico, but was injured. As he was very loved by his teammates, Rogério Hetmanek was invited to stay with the team and work as a “scout”, an observer of the opposing teams.
The players left for Mexico on May 1, 1970 and made their world cup debut on June 3: a 4-1 victory over Czechoslovakia in Guadalajara.
May 17, 1994: Parreira still had doubts for the defense
Amid criticism, coach Carlos Alberto Parreira had called up the team on May 10th. Departure for North America took place fifteen days later. Until the World Cup debut, in the United States, there were three friendly matches:
05.06.1994 – Brazil 1 x 1 Canada – Edmonton – friendly
06/08/1994 – Brazil 8 x 2 Honduras – San Diego – friendly
06/12/1994 – Brazil 4 x 0 El Salvador – Fresno – friendly
Still in Brazil, Mozer was diagnosed with toxic hepatitis, caused by excessive consumption of anti-inflammatories after knee surgery and was cut. Aldair, from Roma, replaced him. Ricardo Gomes was injured during the friendly against El Salvador, in North America, the last before his debut in the World Cup. Parreira decided to call Ronaldão, from Shimizu (Japan). Of course, no call-up is unanimous and the press made a list of those forgotten: Evair, Careca, Palhinha, Válber, Elivélton, Valdo and Luiz Henrique. Parreira intended to take César Sampaio, but preferred to call up another attacker: Viola. Brazil debuted on June 20th with a 2-0 victory over Russia.
April 30, 2002: Felipão was pressured to take Romário
The Brazilian team, coached by Luiz Felipe Scolari, had not yet been called up for the World Cup. Pressure for Romário’s name was present, but the coach ignored the demands and did not call the player. The list was announced on May 6th. The team played two friendlies before their debut: one in Europe and another in Asia.
18.05.2002 – Brazil 3×1 Catalonia – Barcelona
25.05.2002 – Brazil 4×0 Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur
On June 2nd, the day before the debut against Turkey, midfielder Emerson was injured in training and was cut by Scolari. In Ulsan, South Korea, Ronaldo and Rivaldo guaranteed Brazil’s victory in the first match, on their way to penta, on June 3, 2002.
*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Jovem Pan.
