Will Brazil Recover From Its World Cup Loss?

The World Cup 2022 will be remembered forever by Argentina fans, but it is likely to be an edition of the tournament that Brazil's followers will be hoping to forget in a hurry. Brazil was one of the clear pre-tournament favorites to win the top prize, as they looked to end their 20-year wait for a World Cup success.

However, they eventually fell well short of achieving that goal, as they crashed out in the quarterfinals at the hands of Croatia. But, what is next for the nation and could they be back in contention to win the grandest prize by the time the next World Cup gets underway in 2026?

Brazil’s 2022 World Cup Disaster

For at least a year before the World Cup got underway, Brazil was the favorite with sports betting sites at drjuego.com to win the competition. Their price only shortened over the early months of the European season following the excellent form of their star players. There were no early signs that Brazil could face an early elimination, as they were excellent in a 2-0 win against Serbia, before ensuring their spot in the knockout round with a 1-0 win against Switzerland.

Perhaps the first signs that all may not have been perfect was in their final group stage game, as they were beaten 1-0 by an unfancied Cameroon. But, many experts put that performance down to the fact that Tite made wholesale changes. In fact, Brazil returned to action in the round of 16 looking better than ever, as they landed a mesmeric 4-0 win against South Korea. All four goals were scored in the opening half, with Neymar, Richalison, and Vinicius all getting goals.

However, that would be as good as it would get for Brazil, as they were dumped out in the next round. Brazil looked short of ideas throughout their quarterfinal showdown against Croatia, but following Neymar’s stunning opener, many expected them to reach the next round with ease. However, the Croatians struck back with just three minutes of extra time remaining, before claiming a comfortable 4-2 win on spot-kicks.

What Happens Now?

This appeared to be the perfect World Cup at the desired time for Brazil, with many of their best players in the primes of their careers. However, it’s likely that the team for the next edition of the competition will look almost entirely different. This was Neymar’s opportunity to put himself in the same conversation as Brazilian legends, but his failure means that the 30-year-old is unlikely to get another opportunity.

Brazilian stalwarts such as Thiago Silva, Casemiro, and Fabinho are also unlikely to be still at the top of their game by the time the next World Cup comes around. However, it’s likely that Marquinhos will still be the rock in the back four, and the emergence of Eder Militao could ensure that there is at least a solid enough backline.

There’s no denying that there is an excellent variety of Brazilian attacking players coming through, and Antony, Vinicius Jr, and Gabriel Martinelli will all be approaching the peaks of their careers when the World Cup action arrives in North and Central America in three years. The midfield could be the biggest concern, as replacing a defensive midfielder in the statue of Casemiro is something that looks near impossible in just three years.

Attention Switches To Copa America

The perfect opportunity to gain tournament experience will come next year, as Brazil will likely be among the favorites to claim Copa America success. Next year’s edition of the tournament will be held in Ecuador, but the Brazilians could face a challenge from the reigning world champions, as Argentina will be gunning to defend the title that they won in 2021.

Brazil would have been disappointed not to have won the event in 2021, as they were beaten 1-0 in the final by Argentina. However, the tournament in 2024 will allow the coach to test out new players and try and find the blueprint that could deliver a sixth World Cup triumph.

Will Brazil Be A Leading Contender In 2026?

Brazil’s dry spell in the World Cup will be 24 years by the time the action gets underway in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. That is far too long for one of the major players in the world of international football. It’s likely that the next three years will be hugely important when it comes to developing new players, but it’s highly likely that Brazil will once again go into the next World Cup with a leading chance.