Brazil at the 2022 World Cup: a generation without geniuses

Let's start with Brazil, the five-time winner of the world's strongest title, to introduce the teams in Group G at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Brazil

In 1500, a Portuguese ship first docked at the shores of Brazil, and colonization of these territories soon began. In 1822, the country became independent. Today, it is one of the world's major powers, one of the founders of the BRICS.

In addition to coffee, soybeans, oranges and sugar, Brazil exports airplanes, aviation equipment, various transport, rolled steel and light industry products. Nevertheless, Brazil's famous favelas are still a thing of the past - the percentage of poor people in the country is significant.

Brazilian sports are highly developed: The country has 37 Olympic gold medals in 12 sports. But no matter how successful volleyball players and yachtsmen, track and field athletes and judoists are, soccer will always be in first place. Because Brazil is soccer: on the beaches of the Atlantic and on the first-class lawns of academies every year appear a lot of talented kids who a few years later conquer the main arenas of the world.

Brazil's national soccer team

Brazilian national team, which played its first match in 1914, not immediately became one of the strongest on the planet. For example, at the first World Cup in 1930 and 1934, she departed at the first stage. But already in 1938 it won bronze, and in 1950 it won silver.

And in 1958 at the World Championships in Sweden, the Brazilians were the best. At the group stage they beat Austria 3-0 and the Soviet Union - 2-0 and played a draw against England, then defeated Wales - 1-0 and France - 5:2, and in the final smashed the Swedes - 5:2. It was then that the star of the 17-year-old Pele lit up, scoring six goals. And from then on it only flared up. In 1962 and 1970, the Brazilians are once again the strongest in the world, and the departure after the group stage at the World Cup 66 at home was seen as a tragedy: some players, fearing the wrath, were forced to stay longer in Europe. How could this happen? After all, in addition to Pele, Garrincha, Jalma Santos, Didi, Wawa, Mario Zagallo, Nilton Santos, Tostão, Jairzinho were in the squad in those years. They have made the whole world fall in love with Brazilian soccer: a subtle, creative, paradoxical game built on filigree, alien skill. The soccer romance expressed in the slightly arrogant proverb "You score as much as you can, we'll score as much as we want," was a reality.

In 1994 and 2002 the Brazilians again became the best in the world, but only the stars were different, but no less bright: Kafu and Aldair, Taffarel and Bebeto, Romario and Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Lonardo, Dunga and Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Rai. But the path of the Brazilian national team was not entirely strewn with golden glitter. In 1998 they discouragingly lost the final to the French - 0:3. And the last twenty years without a medal at the world championships is a big blow to Brazilian soccer? Has the romantic game become a thing of history and no longer brings results?

The stars of the Brazilian national team

But the unraveling is simpler - the Pentacampiones do not have enough stars of the same caliber as they shone in the 50-70's or 1990-2000's. Although the team has a lot of great masters: the goalkeeper Ederson, defenders Tiano Silva and Marchinhos, midfielders Casemiro, Fred, Lucas Paqueta, Fabinho, strikers Neymar, Rafinha, Gabriel Jesus, Vinicius Júnior, Rodrigo. Yes, stars - but still paler than their predecessors.

Group G opponents.

Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon.

Brazil's national team performance forecast

Many players and experts regard the Brazilians as the favorites of the World Cup, and to the most important. Yes, no one will be surprised if they make it to the finals, but also if they suddenly lose in the 1/8 finals to someone weaker - too. The Brazilians have class, but they lack monolithic vision and the only way to compensate for that is through genius. But there are no geniuses in the squad these days.