In their attacking heyday, Brazil never struggled to find a winning complement in defence. Individual attacking brilliance only comes off if others nearby are doing the hard yards; for every Ronaldinho, there is a Roque Júnior.

The current generation doesn’t lack entertainers. Of Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man squad for the World Cup, which was announced on Monday, nine players are listed as attackers, a high number for most squads, with nine defenders left to sweat their responsibilities whenever possession changes hands.

A byproduct of growing the size of men’s World Cup squads from 23 to 26 is that it’s easier to include specialists who may otherwise have lost out to more versatile alternatives. That’s the path Neymar has taken to his fourth World Cup squad, similar to Colombia’s James Rodríguez: a generational figure who can inspire his side even in short bursts. Just as surprising is the inclusion of Endrick, who struggled to become part of Ancelotti’s plans at Real Madrid. His form on loan at Lyon this season was unmissable, though, and the 19-year-old who was once hyped as Brazil’s best prospect since Neymar will try to rectify a poor start to his international career.

“It may not be the perfect group, but it is a focused, concentrated, humble, selfless group,” Ancelotti said after naming his squad. “My idea is focused on the collective, not the individual.”

A year removed from his second spell at the Bernabeu, Ancelotti has had just 10 games to assess his pool of players as he prepares for his first World Cup as a manager. The tournament isn’t altogether new to him: he was a member of Italy’s squad in 1990 and an assistant on Arrigo Sacchi’s staff when they reached the final in 1994.

The winner of that game, of course, was Brazil. While Romario, another in the nation’s litany of generational forwards, shone in that tournament, the real magic came from Carlos Alberto Parreira’s embrace of pragmatism. He recognized there was a scarcity of showmen to carry the attack, so he built a structure that proved difficult for opponents to overwhelm. A proper 4-4-2, with Dunga and Mauro Silva forming a stout double-pivot as creativity came down the flanks. History has held the 1994 version up as a reminder that Brazil can win without having a player like Pele, Ronaldo, or Ronaldinho as a figurehead – perhaps at the expense of Romario’s legacy.

It’s easy to imagine Ancelotti unfurling a trademark raise of his eyebrow when surveying his pool over the past year. This group of Brazilian players is lacking in crucial areas, especially at full-back. They’ll probably have plenty of work to do, as they will almost certainly have to cover for the healthy contingent of attackers in the final third, and finding a stout base could help relive the utilitarian magic from 1994. Alisson is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but he may need to claim plenty of crosses if his full-backs are drawn out of position.

Thankfully, center-back no longer looks like a liability for Brazil. Marquinhos and Gabriel are leading defenders for Arsenal and PSG, this season’s Champions League finalists. Bremer has rebounded, along with the rest of Juventus, while Roger Ibañez has stuck around the national team since leaving Roma for Al-Ahli in 2023. Ancelotti also picked the Flamengo partnership of Danilo and Léo Pereira, the latter a 30-year-old with just two caps to his name. Then again, they went all 90 minutes in Flamengo’s famous 3-1 win over Chelsea at last summer’s Club World Cup; they are a well-rehearsed tandem who could come in handy as rotation is needed.

It’s tempting to think that the midfield is thin, with just five options in the squad. Casemiro, who played under Ancelotti at Real Madrid, has had a remarkable rebound from a poor 2024-25, while Bruno Guimaraes arrives after another excellent campaign with an otherwise floundering Newcastle. Danilo Santos is a vital figure for Botafogo, and the other midfielders in the squad, Fabinho and Lucas Paquetá, bring ample experience.

And yes, there are plenty of entertainers. Vinícius Jr will hope to put forth a signature tournament showing for Brazil at long last. There’s competition for center-forward, especially given João Pedro’s shock omission in spite of his Chelsea form, with Igor Thiago the man in form, and Endrick and Matheus Cunha the alternatives. The wingers will make opposing full-backs sweat: Bournemouth’s Rayan is among the world’s most tantalizing teenagers and Raphinha, Gabriel Martinelli, and Luiz Henrique offer their own on-ball brilliance.

Brazil struggled as they seldom have before in their qualifying campaign. They finished fifth among South America’s six automatic qualifiers, losing a surprising six matches. They had lost five matches combined in their qualifiers for the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups. Then again, the last time they lost six times in a qualifying campaign was for the 2002 World Cup, and they went on to win the tournament.

There’s an eerie symmetry between that cycle and this one. In both qualifying campaigns, Argentina and Ecuador finished first and second, while Brazil narrowly edged ahead of Paraguay on goal difference. Then again, Ancelotti seems aware that 1994 may be a more fitting parallel for his task this summer.

“I have the knowledge and the confidence that this team can compete with the best in the world,” Ancelotti said. “Can we win the World Cup and reach the final? Yes, we can make it to the final. But I don’t know if that is enough – the best thing is to get there and win the final.”

Brazil squad for 2026 World Cup

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahce), Weverton (Gremio).

Defenders: Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Danilo (Flamengo), Léo Pereira (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Roger Ibañez (Al-Ahli), Wesley (Roma), Marquinhos (Paris St-Germain), Gabriel (Arsenal), Douglas Santos (Zenit St. Petersburg).

Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo Santos (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Lucas Paquetá (Flamengo).

Forwards: Endrick (Lyon), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid), Luiz Henrique (Zenit), Neymar (Santos), Rayan (Bournemouth).