Older generations passed down memories of the legendary team that shone at Mexico 1970. Some even witnessed Garrincha’s brilliance in 1962. Even fewer still can remember how a 17-year-old Pelé captured the hearts of a nation with his genius in 1958.
Now, after 24 years in the wilderness, a new generation is looking to write its own chapter, of which Vinícius Júnior is expected to be the lead author.
But despite the obvious clamor among Brazilians for world supremacy yet again, expectations appear to be at an all-time low.
Why belief is so low
An April survey carried out by Brazilian polling institute Datafolha found that only 29% of the population believes the Seleção can win the World Cup, the lowest figure since it began polling in 1994.
A further 46% do not even expect the squad to advance past the quarterfinals, where they have faltered the last two tournaments.
The pessimism exists for good reason, as Brazil’s journey to the World Cup was characterized by scandals off the pitch and underperformance on it.
It was just over a year ago in May 2025 that a Rio de Janeiro court ordered the removal of former Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues for allegedly falsifying documents to win re-election earlier that year.