Twenty years on from lifting an unprecedented fifth world title in Yokohama, Brazil head to Qatar as the favourites to hoist the World Cup trophy once again at the 2022 winter tournament.
The Selecao were beaten at their most recent major tournament, losing out to Argentina in the 2021 Copa America final, but Tite's squad have since made significant strides in their development and they are oozing plenty of quality which could steer them to glory in the Middle East.
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A plethora of memorable World Cup moments and some of the greatest players of all time have been provided by Brazil over the years, and their latest star Neymar will be at the forefront of their fearsome attacking unit which is expected to cause havoc to opposing backlines.
Defensive stalwarts Thiago Silva and Dani Alves possess vast experience at the highest level, while the likes of Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Lucas Paqueta, Antony and Gabriel Martinelli will all be hoping to impress at their first World Cup.
Here, Sports Mole previews Brazil's chances at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
GROUP
As they did four years ago at the World Cup in Russia, Brazil, Switzerland and Serbia will all meet in the group stage and they will be joined in Group G of this year's tournament by Cameroon.
The Selecao begin their group-stage campaign against potential dark horses Serbia at the Lusail Stadium on November 24, before travelling to Stadium 974 four days later to take on Switzerland, who drew 1-1 with Tite's side in Russia.
Brazil will then conclude Group G with another fixture at the Lusail Stadium against arguably their easiest opponent, on paper, in Cameroon on December 2.
FIXTURES
November 24: Brazil vs. Serbia (7pm, Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail)
November 28: Brazil vs. Switzerland (4pm, Stadium 974, Doha)
December 2: Cameroon vs. Brazil (7pm, Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail)
HOW THEY QUALIFIED
Brazil are the only nation in World Cup history to qualify for every tournament since it began back in 1930, and they comfortably booked their place in Qatar after setting a new record for collecting the most points (45) in CONMEBOL qualifying history.
Tite's men saw one of their toughest fixtures against Copa America holders Argentina suspended and later cancelled in September last year, after Brazilian health authorities accused several Argentine players of breaching quarantine protocols during the coronavirus pandemic.
Nevertheless, both nations secured safe passage to Qatar despite having played a match less than the remaining eight South American countries, with Brazil winning 14 and drawing three of their 17 qualifiers to finish at the summit.
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Brazil opened their account in 2022 qualifying in emphatic fashion, securing a 5-0 home victory against Bolivia, before a Neymar hat-trick inspired the Selecao to a 4-2 win away against Peru.
Indeed, Brazil won their opening nine World Cup qualifiers, keeping seven clean sheets in the process, before playing out a goalless draw away against Colombia. Tite's side then secured their place in Qatar with six games to spare after claiming a slender 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture against Colombia, courtesy of a second-half strike from Lucas Paqueta.
Argentina and Ecuador both picked up a point against Brazil towards the end of the campaign, but the Selecao still managed to top the CONMEBOL standings, finishing six points clear of La Albiceleste in second place.
Neymar ended as Brazil's top scorer in qualifying with eight strikes to his name, while only Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina kept more clean sheets (seven) than Alisson Becker (six).
RECENT FORM
Since losing 1-0 in the 2021 Copa America final against Argentina 16 months ago, Brazil have put together an impressive 15-game unbeaten run across all competitions including 12 victories and three draws.
Tite's side have won each of their last seven matches, including their final three World Cup qualifiers by a 4-0 scoreline against Paraguay, Chile and Bolivia at the beginning of this year. Nine different players got their names on the scoresheet during this three-game stretch, establishing that Tite has plenty of options at his disposal who can contribute in the final third.
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After their World Cup qualification campaign came to a close, Brazil secured back-to-back friendly victories in Asia against South Korea and Japan in June, comfortably beating the former 5-1 in Seoul before a late Neymar penalty was enough for the Selecao to edge past the latter by a 1-0 scoreline in Tokyo.
Brazil then faced African duo Ghana and Tunisia in friendlies played in France during the September international break, with a Richarlison double helping Tite's men secure a 3-0 win over the Black Stars, before a brace from Raphinha contributed to a 5-1 victory against the Eagles of Carthage in their final fixture before their World Cup opener against Serbia.
Across the previous two World Cup tournaments, Brazil have won seven, drawn two and lost three of their 12 matches. Their three defeats were against Germany, Netherlands and Belgium, who were all ranked within the top five by FIFA at the time of each loss.
SQUAD
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Goalkeepers: Alisson Becker (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City), Weverton (Palmeiras)
Defenders: Dani Alves (UNAM Pumas), Danilo (Juventus), Alex Sandro (Juventus), Alex Telles (Sevilla), Bremer (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Thiago Silva (Chelsea)
Midfielders: Casemiro (Manchester United), Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United), Fabinho (Liverpool), Fred (Manchester United), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham United)
Forwards: Antony (Manchester United), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Pedro (Flamengo), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
STAR PLAYER - NEYMAR
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Amidst a plethora of talented players in Brazil's squad, Neymar continues to stand out as the Selecao star, with Tite's side pinning their hopes on the 30-year-old to guide them to glory in Qatar.
The PSG forward is heading to his third World Cup finals following a superb start to the 2022-23 campaign at club level, netting 15 goals and registering 12 assists in 20 appearances for the Ligue 1 giants across all competitions.
Indeed, Neymar has also excelled in front of goal on the international stage, and he recorded eight goals and eight assists in 10 games during Brazil's unbeaten World Cup qualification campaign.
The former Santos starlet has taken his goal tally to 75 in 121 appearances for the Selecao and he is sure to have one eye on overtaking Pele's all-time record of 77 strikes when he takes to the pitch in Qatar.
Along with his 25 titles at club level, the two-time South American Footballer of the Year is also an Under-20 South American Championship winner, a Confederations Cup champion and a 2016 Olympic gold medallist. Adding a World Cup medal to his bulging trophy cabinet would certainly boost his legacy as one of Brazil's and football's all-time greats.
MANAGER - TITE
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Tite is one of only three Brazilian managers, along with Mario Zagallo and Tele Santana, to coach the Selecao at successive World Cup tournaments, having previously led his team out in Russia four years ago.
After having his playing career cut short by injury at the age of just 27, Tite gained experience managing 13 different clubs – including Corinthians on three separate occasions – across a 26-year period before succeeding Dunga in the Brazil hotseat in June 2016.
The 61-year-old was unable to guide his side beyond the quarter-final stage at the 2018 World Cup, but he did steer them to Copa America glory the following year.
Brazil were unable to defend their crown two years later, but since losing to Argentina in the final, the Selecao have gone from strength to strength under Tite's tutelage and there is plenty of positivity and belief in his leadership and his squad ahead of the tournament in Qatar.
Tite, who has won 58, drawn 13 and lost five of his 76 games in charge, has previously said that he plans to retire from coaching after the 2022 World Cup and he will be hoping to bow out on a high in the Middle East by leading Brazil all the way to their first world title for two decades.
WORLD CUP RECORD
Best finish: Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
Brazil head to Qatar as the most successful nation in World Cup history as no other country has lifted the prestigious trophy on five occasions, while only Germany (eight) have reached more finals that the Selecao (seven).
After losing to Uruguay in their first final back in 1950, a golden era inspired by legendary forward Pele helped Brazil win three world titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. Indeed, Pele still holds the record as the youngest player to score in a World Cup final after he netted twice at the age of just 17 in Brazil's 5-2 triumph over Sweden in 1958.
There has been no shortage of Brazilian World Cup legends over the years, with Pele joined by the likes of Garrincha, Jairzinho, Zico, Socrates, Rivaldo, Romario, Ronaldo, Cafu, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldinho in etching their names in the history books.
A change of manager then saw Aymore Moreira replace Vicente Feola in the dugout, but an almost identical Brazil team went on to lift their second title in 1962, becoming the second nation after Italy to win back-to-back World Cups, courtesy of a 3-1 victory over Czechoslovakia in Chile.
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Four years after England lifted the Jules Rimet trophy for the first time, arguably the greatest team to ever grace the World Cup triumphed in 1970, with Pele, Gerson, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto all on the scoresheet in Brazil's 4-1 victory over Italy in the final.
Brazil finished no better than third during a frustrating period across the next five World Cups before securing their fourth world title in 1994, with the Selecao beating Italy once again in the showpiece event, but this time in the first ever final to be decided by a penalty shootout.
Ronaldo's mysterious fitness issues overshadowed Brazil's 3-0 defeat to France at the 1998 final, but 'R9' bounced back to inspire the Selecao to a fifth World Cup success four years later, winning the Golden Boot after scoring eight goals including a brace in the 2-0 final win over Germany.
Brazil have since been knocked out in the quarter-finals in three of the last four World Cups, while a humiliating 7-1 defeat on home soil against eventual world champions Germany saw the Selecao crash out at the 2014 tournament in the semi-finals.
Brazil, who have scored more goals (229) than any other nation at the World Cup finals, have played in 109 games at the tournament, winning 73, drawing 18 and losing 18.
PREDICTION
Brazil have topped their group in each of the last 10 World Cups and they should have few problems in finishing at the summit of Group G this time around.
Doing so would likely see them take on South American rivals Uruguay in the last 16 and then four-time world champions Germany in the quarter-finals. The latter fixture in particular would certainly test the Selecao but is one they would be regarded as favourites to progress from.
Victory in the last eight could then see a repeat of the 2021 Copa America final against Argentina in the last four, and we are backing Tite's side to get revenge over their South American counterparts.
An eighth World Cup final may be on the cards for Brazil against current holders France, and considering the strength in depth that Tite's squad possesses in all departments, this could be the year the Selecao live up to the hype and lift the trophy for a record-extending sixth time.
VERDICT: Winners
Oliver Thomas
