Brazil is preparing to compete in the 2026 World Cup in North America, beginning with a group stage match against Morocco on June 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey [1, 2, 3]. The Brazilian squad underwent a last-minute change when AS Roma fullback Wesley was ruled out due to a thigh injury and replaced by 26-year-old Atalanta midfielder Ederson [1, 2, 3].
Currently ranked sixth in the world, Brazil heads into the tournament with high expectations despite finishing fifth in the South American qualifying group, 10 points behind leaders Argentina [1, 2, 3]. The team has won five World Cup titles, last lifting the trophy in 2002, yet has exited at the quarter-final stage in four of the past five tournaments [1, 2, 3].
In preparation, Brazil completed warm-up friendlies with two convincing wins: a 6-2 victory over Panama in Rio de Janeiro and a 2-1 win against Egypt in Cleveland on June 6 [1, 2, 3]. Midfielder Bruno Guimaraes highlighted the strength of the current squad, saying, "Nobody else has five stars on their chest. We have great players who play for top teams, like Vini (Vinicius Jr) and Raphinha. We need to give our players the respect they deserve." He also added on June 8, "We couldn’t be feeling better. We won and played well in the two friendly matches. We have another few days to work on things but we feel ready." [1, 2]
Star forward Neymar, 34, who plays for Santos, has not been capped since 2023 and is recovering from a calf injury as of June 8. There is cautious hope he may participate in the tournament after MRI scans showed good progress [1, 2, 3].
Brazil’s focus now turns fully to the opening match against Morocco, with the squad settling at their base in New Jersey and final training sessions underway before kickoff on June 13 [1, 2, 3].