Brazil Group C predictions following 2026 FIFA World Cup draw

Brazil won’t have an easy path when the national team begins their journey in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Brazilians stand out as the only team to qualify for every edition of the four-year tournament. They stand alone with the most World Cup titles with five, winning their last championship in 2002.

Brazil is set to have matchups against 2022 semifinalists Morocco, then Haiti and Scotland. They will start out against one of the toughest teams in Africa, an up-and-coming squad from CONCACAF, and a country that returns to the tournament for the first time since 1998.

Here is how the Samba Boys could fare in Group C of next year’s World Cup.

How Brazil fares against Group C opponents

Brazil has been though a brutal qualifying campaign, their worst since the 2002 cycle. They finished with a record of eight wins, six losses and four draws, a big step back from the 14 wins and three ties they put together in the 2022 qualifiers.

Neymar being absent played a major role in the team’s struggles. He tore his ACL against Uruguay in October 2023 and hasn’t returned to the national team since. While he is working hard to return to form and get back on the roster, Brazil has been going through a new period of sustained form and performances.

After juggling between coaches in Fernando Diniz and Dorival Jr., they finally made the big swing for Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti. Having won many titles at the club level and gaining experience in coaching Brazilian stars, the match couldn’t have been more solid between Ancelotti and the national team.

The team has made significant progress in being more sound defensively while having more creativity in the offense. This presents their squad as a tough matchup for the opponents they will face in Group C.

However, taking on Morocco will be the most difficult test of all. The Moroccans made a historic run in 2022, stunning Spain and Portugal to reach the semifinals as the first African side to achieve the feat. They finished fourth place in that tournament, standing tall as a defensive juggernaut.

There are times when Morocco has struggles in scoring goals, often obtaining 1-0 victories against teams they should be beating by bigger margins. This could help Brazil as they may create multiple chances to break down Morocco’s defense and take full control of the match.

Then comes Haiti, who returns to the World Cup for the first time since 1974. It has been a historic campaign for the Haitians amid current events in their country, having neutral games as they can’t host matches due to political strife.

While Haiti has competed well against CONCACAF sides, they will have immense difficulty in keeping up with the likes of Brazil and the other teams in Group C. Their defense tends to be leaky, something that the Brazilians will constantly exploit throughout the contest.

Brazil will conclude group play against Scotland, who comes back to the global stage for the first time since 1998. These two teams met in that tournament as the Brazilians secured a 2-1 win.

Scotland qualified after stunning Denmark in a 4-2 thriller, showcasing themselves as a team that Brazil can’t underestimate. They have players that will test the defense, a part that will give a sign to the team’s chances of making a deep run.

Final prediction for Brazil’s chances in Group C

Brazil will have their work cut out for them when the World Cup kicks off in June next year.

They will hope for Neymar to return to the national team as he could be crucial to helping them get break down the defensive-minded squads that will want to force them to penalty shootouts. He has made strides at the club level for Santos FC, a positive sign that he can have a place on the team when the tournament arrives as long as he avoids severe injury.

In the meantime, they will turn to the likes of Vinicius Jr., Raphinha, Estevao, and Rodrygo among others to step up in big ways with goal-scoring opportunities. They will also anticipate the midfield having solid performances, emphasizing the importance of stability against the most difficult teams in their path.

The national team hasn’t returned to the mountaintop since 2002, a drought they can end by winning the tournament in the U.S. like they did in 1994. If Brazil can take care of business in Group C, especially against Morocco, then people can feel confident about their title hopes. In other words, expect them to come out of the group and give their opponents in the knockout stage difficult tests.

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