This guide was first published on 8 June 2026 as a pre-tournament preview of Brazil's chances. It was rewritten in October 2026 with what actually happened.
Brazil arrived with five titles, the last in 2002, and an awkward pattern: between 2006 and 2022 they got past the quarter-finals only once. The preview asked whether a new generation could break it. It did not, and the exit came earlier than in any of those tournaments: Brazil went out in the round of 16, beaten 2–1 by Norway. It was their earliest elimination since Italy 1990, when Argentina knocked them out at the same stage.
Group C: top on goal difference
The opener was the hardest game of the group: 1–1 with Morocco at MetLife Stadium, Ismael Saibari scoring first and Vinícius Júnior equalising. Then came two 3–0 wins — over Haiti in Philadelphia (two from Matheus Cunha, one from Vinícius) and over Scotland in Miami (two from Vinícius, one from Cunha). Brazil and Morocco both finished on seven points; Brazil took first place on goal difference, +6 to +3.
Round of 32: the late comeback against Japan
In Houston, Kaishū Sano put Japan ahead after 29 minutes. For the second time in the tournament Brazil had fallen behind, and for the second time they responded: Casemiro equalised in the second half and Gabriel Martinelli won it in the 90th minute, 2–1.
Round of 16: Haaland in New Jersey
On 5 July, back at MetLife Stadium, Erling Haaland scored both of Norway's goals — the first after 79 minutes, the second in stoppage time. Brazil's only reply was a Neymar penalty, also in added time. Norway went out in the next round, 2–1 to England after extra time.
Norway are an awkward opponent for Brazil: in five meetings, Brazil have never beaten them (two draws, three defeats). Two of those defeats came at World Cups, in 1998 and 2026.
What the tournament said
The attack delivered: ten goals in five games, four from Vinícius and three from Cunha. What was missing was the thing the preview flagged — winning a tight knockout match. The new format also changes how the exit reads. Brazil played five matches, exactly as many as in their quarter-final exits of 2006, 2010, 2018 and 2022; in a 48-team World Cup, five matches only gets you to the round of 16.
What comes next
The next big tournament in Brazil is the 2027 Women's World Cup (24 June – 25 July, with the final at the Maracanã). For the men's team, the road to 2030 is narrower than ever: with Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay already qualified as centenary hosts, Brazil compete with six other teams for three direct places and one play-off spot.