The search for the sixth star begins again for Brazil.
This historic and football-loving nation has already lifted the World Cup five times — more than any other country — but its last triumph, in 2002, is starting to seem like a distant memory, after more than two decades of frustration.
France eliminated the Seleção in the quarterfinals in 2006, the Netherlands did the same in 2010, Germany inflicted one of the most infamous defeats in the history of the sport in 2014 — a 7-1 rout that left fans crying in the stands — and further eliminations in the quarterfinals followed in 2018 and 2022.
An entire generation of Brazilians never saw their country win a World Cup.
Stories were told of Ronaldo Nazário leading Canarinha to glory in 2002 after France’s disappointment in 1998. They heard the accounts of Romário ending a 24-year drought in 1994. Older generations passed down memories of the legendary team that shone in Mexico in 1970.
Some even witnessed Garrincha’s genius in 1962. Even fewer people remember how a 17-year-old Pelé won the heart of a nation with his talent in 1958.
Now, after 24 years in the desert, a new generation seeks to write its own chapter, in which Vinícius Júnior must be the main author.
But despite Brazilians’ evident clamor for yet another world supremacy, expectations appear to be at an all-time low.
A survey carried out in April by the Datafolha institute found that only 29% of the population believes that the Seleção can win the World Cupthe lowest rate since the institute began carrying out surveys in 1994.
Another 46% do not even expect the team to advance beyond the quarterfinals, a stage in which Brazil has stumbled in the last two tournaments.
Pessimism has concrete reasons, as the team’s trajectory was marked by scandals off the field and below-expected performance on it.
Behind-the-scenes crisis and irregular campaign
It was just over a year ago, in May 2025, that a court in Rio de Janeiro ordered the dismissal of the then president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ednaldo Rodrigues, accused of falsifying documents to win re-election earlier that year.
The decision came just three days after being announced as coach of the team, which was experiencing its worst World Cup qualifying campaign in history.
Brazil finished in a modest fifth place in the Conmebol table, with just 28 points in 18 games, ten points behind arch-rival Argentina, who ended the dispute in the lead.
The lowest point also came against Albiceleste, who beat the Brazilians 4-1 in Buenos Aires without the presence of .
Captain Marquinhos classified the result as “shameful” to Globo and said it “can’t happen again”, even making a public apology.
“I’m sorry for our fans.”
The apology was certainly justified, given that it was the Seleção’s biggest defeat to Argentina since 1964, a result that ended up costing Dorival Júnior his job and hastening the arrival of former Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.
The ghosts of Belo Horizonte
However, no moment symbolizes the decline of Brazilian football more than the 90 minutes of chaos at the Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, when the host team faced Germany in the semi-final of the 2014 World Cup on July 8 of that year.
The Seleção found themselves trailing 5-0 after just 30 minutes of play. The score then reached 7-0 ten minutes from the final whistle, before Oscar scored the most insignificant of consolation goals in the last minute.
The disaster became known as Mineiraço and — perhaps alongside the 2-1 defeat to Uruguay in the decisive match of the 1950 World Cup, the first to be held in Brazil — became the most traumatic sporting result in the history of Brazilian sport.
“7-1 has entered the vocabulary”, he bluntly told CNN South American football expert Tim Vickery.
“Any humiliating, crushing defeat, in any area of life, is now called 7-1. It’s a stain on the carpet that won’t come out anytime soon. The only way to overcome this is to win the World Cup.”
The European challenge
But for the Seleção to achieve that goal, it will probably need to do something it hasn’t done since Ronaldo and company defeated Germany in the 2002 final: beat a European team in a World Cup knockout.
France, Holland, Germany, Belgium and then Croatia have broken the hearts of Brazilians in the last five editions of the tournament.
And, as shameful as the 7-1 was, it was part of a wider phenomenon of difficulties facing European opponents.
“I know some journalists who say: ‘I don’t even care if we don’t win this time, as long as we beat a European team in the knockout stage’,” said Vickery, with humor.
Co-author of the book “Mundiales: A South American History of the World Cup”he highlighted that, if Ancelotti’s team leads Group C as expected, they could cross with England in the quarter-finals, if the English also finish at the top of their group.
However, even if this confrontation takes place and Brazil emerges victorious, that will not be enough for many fans.
Only achieving the sixth star will satisfy expectations.
The seeds of expectation planted in 1970
The story of the World Cup cannot be told without the 1970 Brazilian team.
“Brazil 1970” has become a universal expression in football vocabulary. For many people, their first memories or references to the tournament began in Mexico.
Partly because it was the first broadcast in color, making the yellow jersey shine on television for the first time.
But, mainly, because that team expressed itself with its feet in a way never before seen.
Because of this, “it was absolutely natural for people at the time to make a connection between that and the moon landing a few months earlier,” Vickery said.
Just 20 years earlier, Brazil had suffered its first major sporting disappointment at the newly built Maracanã, in the defeat to Uruguay that became known as the Maracanaço.
But the victory over Italy in 1970 engraved the third star on the shield and guaranteed the Seleção definitive possession of the then-called Jules Rimet Trophy.
Most importantly, it consolidated Brazil’s status as a top reference in world football.
“In 1958, Brazil was really the third force in South America, behind Argentina and Uruguay,” said Vickery.
“Then, over the course of 12 years, they became the country of football, and the yellow shirt became associated with everything that was good and pure about Jogo Bonito.”
However, according to the journalist, this success also created a burden for subsequent generations.
“Every World Cup since then has been judged by that of 1970.”
Furthermore, he imposed on his successors the obligation to play football that paid homage to the heroes of the past. That’s why, according to Vickery, the 24-year drought without a world title seems even more serious.
“Because what people thought of Brazil was not just winning, it was winning with style. Sometimes, it was even not winning, but with style.”
This is evident in the case of the 1982 team.
Often touted as the best team never to win a World Cup, they remain revered to this day, despite not even reaching the semi-finals in Spain.
But, as Vickery notes, “in recent years they haven’t been winning, and you don’t really associate them with the same monopoly on stylish football that they once had.”
Vinícius Júnior carries hope
One player, however, still represents this style: Vinícius Júnior.
And he will need to take the lead for Brazil to be successful.
Each world title won by the Seleção had a central figure: Pelé in 1958 and 1970, Garrincha in 1962, Romário in 1994 and 2002.
For Brazil to win another World Cup, the Real Madrid star will likely need to join that list.
“It’s his Cup. It’s the Cup for him to shine and stand out,” said Cafu, captain of the 2002 world champion team, to CNN in April.
“All eyes will be on Vini Jr. And I’m sure that, if he is calm and aware that this is his World Cup, he will really help the Brazilian team.”
Four years ago, in Qatar, he was already an important player, but the spotlight still belonged to Neymar.
Now, the hopes of more than 213 million Brazilians largely fall on the shoulders of the Real Madrid striker.
The 25-year-old player, however, shows calmness in the face of responsibility.
“It’s nothing out of the ordinary. I’ve been playing for the national team since I was 19. Before, I was just a young promise, but now I’m on the front line, leading the team and trying to take Brazil back to the top of world football. It’s a huge responsibility, and one that I really value,” Vinícius told FIFA during the March international break.
Two-time Champions League champion, runner-up for the Ballon d’Or and voted best player in the world by FIFA in 2024, Vinícius has already achieved more than most athletes could dream of.
But leading Brazil to a long-awaited sixth world title would put him in a completely different category.
A fairytale ending for Neymar?
However, there is one man with even more at stake: Neymar.
When Carlo Ancelotti announced Neymar among the 26-man squad, many eyebrows were raised.
The 34-year-old has not played for the national team since October 2023 and has spent the last two years battling injuries.
Even so, when his name was announced, those present in Rio de Janeiro erupted in celebration.
“Olé, olé, olé, hello… Neymar, Neymar”.
This was the chorus that echoed through the Museum of Tomorrow, as the greatest goalscorer in the history of the Seleção received one last opportunity to fulfill his destiny in a World Cup.
In many ways, Neymar embodies the vision of football that Brazil presented to the world in 1970. But, more importantly, his story goes directly back to that fateful day in Belo Horizonte.
One of the striking images of the 2014 World Cup was seeing David Luiz and Júlio César holding the striker’s number 10 shirt during the playing of the national anthem, before the semi-final against Germany.
Neymar was left out of that match after suffering an injury in the quarter-final victory over Colombia.
Twelve years later, he continues to inspire hope.
“Neymar is a guy that we don’t need to evaluate to take him to a World Cup. Maybe he won’t play every game, but he is a very important player who has already shown his value,” Ronaldo told CNN in March.
The Phenomenon also left a message for Brazilian fans on the eve of the tournament.
“Believe me, as we always do during the World Cup. Let’s go back to painting the streets and filling them with flags. I hope we can bring a sixth title to Brazil.”
