Vinicius was blunt: “Brazil are not favourites for the 2026 World Cup” | OneFootball

Real Madrid forward lowered expectations and said that the Canarinha are not heading into the next World Cup as favorites after a poor qualifying campaign.

On the eve of another FIFA international window, Vinicius Junior surprised many with a clear and direct message: the Brazil national team is not a favorite for the next World Cup. The Real Madrid winger spoke at a press conference before the friendly against the France national team and chose to play down expectations ahead of the 2026 tournament.

“We don’t want to be favorites. We want to arrive at the World Cup the same way we’re approaching the friendlies: calm, patient, and focused on what we’ve been working on,” said the 25-year-old attacker, taking a stance that contrasts with the history and weight of the Brazilian national team.

Vinicius himself explained the reasons behind his view: Brazil’s performances in the qualifiers. Brazil finished in fifth place, an unusual position for the Canarinha and the worst in its history under that format. Even so, he made it clear that the goal remains unchanged: to fight for the title and go after a sixth star.

Beyond the self-criticism, the forward highlighted the squad’s potential, with players such as Raphinha, João Pedro, Matheus Cunha, Casemiro, Endrick, and Estêvão, all playing leading roles at their respective clubs. In that sense, he stressed that the team has enough quality to compete on equal terms with anyone.

Lastly, he also praised the work of Carlo Ancelotti, the national team’s current head coach. “He understands the way we have to play. With so many attacking players, of course we’re going to play attacking football,” Vinicius concluded, making clear the offensive approach Brazil will look to impose on the road to the 2026 World Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.