World Cup still awaits the real Brazil to show up

In the ongoing World Cup 2026, the real Brazil is still to show itself. In Philadelphia Stadium during their match against Haiti, the team showcased hints of their distinguished past. Ronaldinho, a prominent figure from the 2002 world champion team, was present in the crowd, while fans celebrated by waving replica World Cup trophies. Brazil secured a 3-0 victory with Matheus Cunha scoring two goals and Vinicius Jr adding a third, all before halftime. This marked Brazil's first win and clean sheet of the tournament, with fans clad in yellow expressing their joy.

However, it is essential to note that Brazil faced a Haiti team ranked over 80 positions lower than them in FIFA's rankings. The Selecao’s performance noticeably dipped after halftime, as they managed no attempts on target in the second 45 minutes. Meanwhile, Haiti, eliminated from the 2026 World Cup following this encounter, generated seven shots, compared to Brazil’s mere two. As Argentina and France performed impressively in the tournament, Brazil struggled to find their rhythm and faded after starting brightly in Philadelphia.

Brazil accumulated four points from their first two matches after an uninspiring draw with Morocco (1-1) in their opening Group C game. Questions lingered as to why the fans were still awaiting the real Brazil to emerge.

Brazilian fans turned Philadelphia into a sea of yellow as they arrived in droves, with many without tickets and enjoying the game in local bars. Head coach Carlo Ancelotti appeared optimistic at the post-match press conference, praising the first-half performance but expressing frustration at the team’s second-half control. He acknowledged the opportunities the team had to score more goals despite their lack of attempts. Ancelotti indicated that improvements had been made compared to their match against Morocco.

Anticipation grew over Matheus Cunha’s continued role as a center-forward for the upcoming match against Scotland next Wednesday in Miami. Ancelotti remained non-committal about Cunha’s position for the next game but acknowledged the player's contributions against Haiti.

Neymar's potential return was met with curiosity, as Ancelotti remarked that Neymar would begin individual training soon and be available for the Scotland match. However, mixed opinions about Neymar's place in the team lingered, especially after his absence due to injury since October 2023

Also noteworthy was the injury concern surrounding Raphinha, Brazil's top goal scorer in World Cup qualifiers. Ancelotti planned to assess Raphinha’s condition in the days following the match. Fans had their first glimpse of 19-year-old Endrick on the World Cup stage, who received an ovation upon his introduction, though did not have a significant impact during the match.