The Liverpool goalkeeper said external doubts have preceded past Brazilian triumphs, as Carlo Ancelotti’s side look to end a 24-year wait for a sixth title.
Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker has insisted that doubts about the record five-time champions could work in the team’s favour as they prepare to open their World Cup campaign against Morocco at the MetLife Stadium on Saturday.
“It is a good thing that there are some doubts about the team, because that has been the case on other occasions in the past,” the Liverpool shot-stopper told reporters at Brazil’s tournament base in New Jersey, nodding to past Brazil teams who were not considered favourites but went on to lift the trophy.
Brazilians are impatiently waiting for the Selecao to become world champions again, 24 years after they last lifted the trophy. They did not go into the 2002 edition in Japan and South Korea as leading contenders, and they are not seen as the top dogs for the 2026 World Cup either. Most discussions around potential winners have centred around holders Argentina, European champions Spain and 2022 runners-up France, with England and Portugal often mentioned.
“The current team has different characteristics compared to past sides. That last period was very difficult for all the players, for various reasons,” Alisson added. “The most important thing is how we feel now, and we hope that translates into us getting a good result against Morocco.”
Carlo Ancelotti’s side qualified in fifth place in the 10-team South American qualifying group after a messy campaign in which two coaches were fired before the Italian arrived a year ago. However, Brazil have won their last three friendly outings, including beating Panama 6-2 and Egypt 2-1 last week.
The meeting of the sides ranked sixth and seventh respectively in the current FIFA rankings is perhaps the standout match-up of the group stage at the sprawling 48-team tournament. Brazil won the last World Cup held in the United States in 1994, but recent performances have been disappointing. They have gone out in the quarter-finals in four of the last five tournaments, as well as losing 7-1 to Germany in the 2014 semi-finals on home soil.
An analysis by Accra Street Journal noted that this will be a third World Cup for the 33-year-old Alisson, who played every game for Brazil at Russia 2018 and all but one match in 2022. The 2018 campaign ended with defeat against Belgium in the last eight, before they were eliminated on penalties by Croatia in Qatar.
“On what happened in the past, I think in football you can’t afford to spend time wallowing,” he said, before hailing the arrival of Ancelotti. “Since Ancelotti came in, the atmosphere has been transformed. He has such a strong presence and doesn’t focus on controversial issues.”
Brazil will next face outsiders Haiti before concluding the opening round against Scotland. For now, all eyes are on Morocco and whether the Selecao can begin their quest to end a 24-year wait for a sixth title.
Source: Accra Street Journal
Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of The Accra Daily Mail, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.
