Vinicius, Raphinha, and Neymar: Can Ancelotti Lead Brazil to World Cup Glory with a Formidable Attack?

Brazil enters the World Cup with great ambitions to win the title, but this time expectations seem more tied to the number of stars on the roster than to stable technical preparations, amid questions about the team's ability to achieve balance under Carlo Ancelotti's leadership.

According to Opta, before the tournament, the Brazilian national team has undergone significant changes since 2023, with four coaches and at least 84 different players participating during that period, before the Brazilian Football Confederation settled on appointing Carlo Ancelotti in June 2025 to lead the team in the World Cup.

Ancelotti has played a limited number of official matches in the South American qualifiers for the World Cup, with most of his preparations coming through friendly matches after securing qualification, which led him to rely on a clear attacking system based on four players in the front line and two in midfield.

The Italian coach relies on a midfield duo consisting of Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães, alongside prominent attacking names led by Vinicius Junior and Raphinha, with a noticeable variation in their performance between their clubs and the national team. According to statistics, Vinicius has contributed 183 goals with Real Madrid over five years compared to only 17 international contributions, while Raphinha has provided 127 contributions with Barcelona compared to 18 with Brazil.

In the absence of a clear main striker, except for Igo Thiago, who is not expected to be a starter, the technical staff is considering employing Vinicius or Raphinha in a central position, where Vinicius played 57% of Ancelotti's minutes as a forward, compared to 43% for Raphinha as a playmaker.

Several players are competing for the remaining attacking positions, including Matheus Cunha, Luis Henrique, Ryan, Gabriel, Martinelli, Endrick, and Igo Thiago, in addition to Neymar, who was surprisingly called up.

Matheus Cunha is one of the leading candidates to lead the front line, having topped the chance creation list under Ancelotti with 11 opportunities, behind Vinicius, Bruno, and Casemiro, along with his performance in central areas of the field.

Luis Henrique, Ryan, and Endrick have also caught attention with their performances, with Ryan scoring a goal at Maracanã against Panama, while Endrick scored against England at Wembley, and Luis Henrique provided impressive dribbling numbers despite limited playing time.

However, the standout name remains Neymar, Brazil's all-time top scorer with 79 goals in official matches, who returned to Santos in 2025 before being called up again. Despite limited recent participation, he topped his team's numbers in several scoring and creative metrics, bringing him back into the national team fold.

According to analysis, Neymar could be the deciding factor in the tournament, whether as a starter or as a substitute, thanks to his ability to make a difference and link the midfield with the attack.

On the other hand, the defense line appears more stable with Marquinhos as the team captain alongside Gabriel Magalhães, who have significant experience in European tournaments and have successfully kept clean sheets in matches under Ancelotti's leadership.

Brazil relies on a fast and direct attacking style, especially in counterattacks, with the team recording a notable number of fast attacks compared to organized attacks, reflecting a technical identity leaning towards speed rather than full possession.

In the end, the question remains whether this large number of attacking stars can form a balanced team capable of achieving Brazil's dream of winning the World Cup for the first time since 2002.