Brazil at the World Cups: 2022, in seventh place | OneFootball

Neymar battles for the ball against a Croatian player in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World CupCredits: Lucas Figueiredo / CBF

The Brazil National Team arrived at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar once again as one of the favorites to win the title. The team had been coming off strong performances in the qualifiers and in friendlies, with seven matches in 2022 and seven wins, five of them by large margins. They had a solid defense and an attack that was working well, in another opportunity for coach Tite.

The group stage campaign began with a good 2-0 victory over Serbia on November 24, 2022, at Lusail Iconic Stadium in the city of Lusail, with two goals from Richarlison.

In the next match, Brazil faced another European team, Switzerland, and earned another win: 1-0 at Stadium 974 in Doha, with a goal from Casemiro.

Already qualified from Group G, Brazil fielded an alternate lineup for the third match, against Cameroon, at Lusail Iconic Stadium, and ended up being beaten 1-0 by the African side. It was the first defeat of the Brazil National Team to an African national team in World Cup history, which brought some criticism toward coach Tite for not fielding his strongest lineup.

In the Round of 16, Brazil delivered its most convincing performance of the tournament by thrashing South Korea 4-1 at Stadium 974. The team practically settled the match in the first half, with goals from Vinícius Júnior, Neymar, Richarlison, and Lucas Paquetá. The victory reinforced expectations that Brazil could win the long-awaited sixth world title.

But in the quarterfinals, Brazil ran into difficulties against Croatia. After a scoreless draw in regular time, Neymar scored in extra time and drew level with Pelé as the top scorer in the history of the Brazil National Team. However, the Croatians equalized in the final minutes of extra time, taking the match to penalties.

Players celebrate the 1-0 victory over Switzerland in the second round of the group stageCredits: Lucas Figueiredo / CBF

In the penalty shootout, Croatia won 4-2. Rodrygo had his attempt saved by goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, while Marquinhos hit the post with Brazil’s final kick. As a result, Brazil was eliminated and had to put off the dream of a sixth title.

Despite the early elimination, Brazil ended the competition with three wins, one loss in the group stage, and elimination on penalties in the quarterfinals. The team officially finished in 7th place overall at the 2022 World Cup, repeating a quarterfinal exit for the second consecutive edition.

See Brazil’s squad for the 2022 World Cup:

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City), and Weverton (Palmeiras);

Defenders: Alex Sandro (Juventus), Alex Telles (Sevilla), Bremer (Juventus), Daniel Alves (Pumas), Danilo (Juventus), Éder Militão (Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), and Thiago Silva (Chelsea);

Midfielders: Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo), Fabinho (Liverpool), Fred (Manchester United), and Lucas Paquetá (West Ham);

Forwards: Antony (Manchester United), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Pedro (Flamengo), Raphinha (Barcelona), Richarlison (Tottenham), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), and Vini Jr. (Real Madrid).

Coach: Tite.

From Friday (May 22) until the eve of Brazil’s World Cup debut (June 12), the CBF website published daily the history of the Brazil National Team in the World Cups (from 1930 to 2022). Here’s hoping for the sixth title.

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