There will be a 'rough' Brazil at the World Cup.

Given their current squad and the general trends in world football, it's unlikely that the Brazilian national team will be able to showcase their fiery, exhilarating style of play at the 2026 World Cup.

Brazil is bringing many defensive midfielders like Casemiro to the 2026 World Cup - Photo: AFP

Too many strikers, too few playmakers.

Looking at the Brazilian squad at this year's World Cup, it's easy to see that they are severely lacking in midfielders. In fact, only five players qualify for this category: Bruno Guimaraes, Casemiro, Danilo Santos, Fabinho, and Lucas Paqueta.

Most of these are defensive midfielders, lacking much creative ability. Caresemiro, Fabinho, and Danilo Santos are purely ball-winning players.

Meanwhile, Bruno Guimaraes is also a defensive midfielder. Although he can support the attack, he lacks creativity. Only Lucas Paqueta is capable of playing as an attacking midfielder. He possesses the ability to orchestrate play, distribute the ball, and deliver decisive passes.

Neymar is prone to injuries, making him unlikely to be a long-term solution for the attacking midfield role - Photo: AFP

However, Paqueta's biggest weakness lies in his inconsistent form. That's why he's only played for teams like West Ham and Flamengo, and hasn't attracted the attention of many "big clubs".

In contrast to their midfield, Brazil's attack is oversaturated, especially in the wing positions. A host of names can be mentioned, such as Vinicius, Raphinha, Rayan, Martinelli, and Neymar.

Even a center forward like Matheus Cunha can be moved to the wing to disrupt the opposition's defense. In total, coach Ancelotti has selected nine forwards for the 2026 World Cup.

Brazil almost completely lacks creativity and innovative play. In case of a deadlock, Ancelotti could bring Neymar back to play this role. However, he is too prone to injuries, so that cannot be considered a sustainable solution.

Ancelotti's talent

Coach Ancelotti has the ability to change the playing style of the Brazilian national team - Photo: AFP

With such a squad, it's almost impossible for Brazil to play their traditional flamboyant attacking football. Instead, they'll likely adopt a more defensive, "rough" style of play.

At the 2010 World Cup, coach Dunga also created a similar revolution by forcing the Brazilian team to adopt a tight, defensive style of play. The consequence was that they struggled against a completely unfamiliar system, while their squad was full of attacking stars.

But this time, perhaps that won't happen again, simply because Ancelotti is a genius. As an Italian coach, he understands the philosophy of defense very well and is less likely to make mistakes than Dunga.

Ancelotti's tactical and personnel management skills need no further proof, as he has already achieved immense success leading AC Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea, and PSG.

In modern football, sometimes a "rough" style of play can be a good thing for Brazil because to win, you first have to avoid losing. That's the style of play that helped Arsenal win the Premier League recently. They weren't flashy or overly elaborate, but they won the title thanks to their solidity.

It's difficult to expect Brazil to play flamboyant attacking football. But their progress in the 2026 World Cup is entirely possible thanks to Ancelotti's genius.

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DUC KHUE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/se-co-mot-brazil-xu-xi-tai-world-cup-20260530082625811.htm