Raphinha: A special 'weapon' for Ancelotti to revive Brazil

It's not Vinicius, but Raphinha who is the key to Carlo Ancelotti's search for his first win with the Brazilian national team.

Explosive season

In recent years, Brazilian football has always expected Vinicius Junior as a new icon, the successor of "Prince" Neymar.

However, Vinicius has never performed as expected with the Brazilian national team. With 6 goals in 40 matches, he is a flawed version of himself compared to his inspirational performance at Real Madrid.

Vinicius played poorly in the draw with Ecuador. Photo: EFE

Carlo Ancelotti 's debut was no exception: Vinicius "disappeared" in the Samba dance's goalless draw with Ecuador.

When Ancelotti has his first official match in front of a Brazilian audience, against Paraguay at 7:45 on June 11, it is not Vini but Raphinha who is the hope to create a breakthrough in the playing style.

Raphinha will start the Ancelotti era – after being suspended for the Ecuador game – in spectacular form for Barcelona in 2024/25.

If Vinicius sometimes gets into controversial and inconsistent situations, Raphinha proves to be the real hope . He is a reliable star , always putting the collective interest above all else.

Raphinha struggled in his early days at Barca. The problem wasn't with him: Xavi Hernandez didn't know how to get the best out of the former Leeds United man, or kept taking him off the pitch despite his good form.

These days last year were really difficult for Raphinha. He lost his way, planned to leave Barcelona to find himself again. At the very least, he wanted an environment that allowed him to play more.

Raphinha had an explosive season with Barca. Photo: EFE

The arrival of Hansi Flick changed everything. From a doubter, Raphinha became one of the players wearing the armband and taking the starting position in the attack with gem Lamine Yamal and veteran Robert Lewandowski.

Flick's faith was rewarded: Raphinha scored 34 goals and provided 22 assists in all competitions, helping Barca win La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.

Raphinha's being named La Liga Player of the Year for 2024/25 is testament to his impact on the Blaugrana.

While Vinicius is among the most inactive strikers in La Liga, Raphinha is mature and always carries the image of a team player. He supports Yamal, or drops deep to support the defense.

Ancelotti's golden key

“ Raphinha is one of the best players in the world right now , ” Ancelotti declared as Brazil prepared for a crucial match against Paraguay in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America .

Ancelotti awaits his first win with Brazil. Photo: CBF

The Italian strategist expects: " Raphinha will be the key to help Brazil unlock the match" .  

Those were not only words of encouragement but also an acknowledgement from Carlinho – as Brazilians call him – to Raphinha.

He knows Raphinha very well, after leading Real Madrid to be crushed by Barca in El Clasico matches. In those battles, this 28-year-old player always shined and showed admirable fighting spirit.

To find a ticket to the 2026 World Cup, and further to bring Brazil back to its position, Ancelotti needs a stable and match-deciding warrior Raphinha, not Vinicius who only occasionally has a few memorable moments .

Working with Hansi Flick, Raphinha has shown better tactical thinking. He balances dribbling, positioning, assists and goals – five in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, compared to Vinicius’ one.

Raphinha shone even during Brazil's crisis period with constant changes on the technical bench.

Raphinha is expected to make a difference for Brazil. Photo: Imago

In other words, Ancelotti is benefiting from Hansi Flick. Raphinha is always running on both wings, can play as a "number 10" or move up as a false striker.

La Liga's note when awarding him the award said it all: "Raphinha played brilliantly in all the important matches for the championship" .

Raphinha’s dynamism also promises to help Vinicius play more comfortably. Ancelotti is looking forward to that, relieving the psychological pressure on Vini – who is dominated by the weight of the 5-time World Cup champion outfit.

The world is waiting to see if Raphinha can take Brazil back to the top, but one thing is for sure: he deserves to be the Canarinha's biggest hope at this point.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/raphinha-chia-khoa-vang-de-ancelotti-tai-thiet-brazil-2410097.html