Brazil Starting XI and Squad Projection for the 2026 World Cup
After your own country, Brazil is likely the first team you think of when it comes to international football.
The South Americans have played in every single FIFA World Cup tournament, the only team to achieve such a feat. They have also won the title five times, more than any other country.
The Seleção Canarinho are synonymous with thrilling players, an attacking brand of football, and more tricks than a Vegas magician.
While the current squad is perhaps not the most fearsome in the country's illustrious history, it is still peppered with incredible talent. Brazil will always be considered among the favorites to win a World Cup, and that will be true in North America.
With the 2022 World Cup expanding the squad size to 26 players, it's not yet clear whether this will remain for the 2026 edition. However, we've assumed that will be the case when predicting the players manager Carlo Ancelotti is likely to pick to represent Brazil in the summer.
We've also selected a possible starting XI in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Of course, there's plenty of time for players to make their case, and injuries can easily throw a wrench into plans. For now, though, here's how Brazil should look when the players take to the pitch for their first game of the tournament.
Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
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The signs of Alisson's decline are becoming more apparent, with the once imperious stopper's usual passing range, footwork, and decision-making all failing him during Liverpool's woeful defense of the Premier League title.
However, he's still Brazil's top option between the sticks, and it's difficult to suggest anyone could displace him in the next six months or so, barring an injury, which, unfortunately, is a regular occurrence for the 33-year-old.
Ederson's stock has tumbled since his Manchester City exit, while Bento and Hugo Souza have just seven caps between them.
Alisson, with 76 caps to his name, has long been the preferred pick, and he should keep the No. 1 jersey for a third consecutive World Cup.
Left-Back: Caio Henrique
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The selections on either flank of the defensive quartet are perhaps the hardest to call, but Caio Henrique is just a nose in front of Carlos Augusto and Alex Sandro at left-back as it stands.
The position has featured some iconic names, with Roberto Carlos holding the spot for the best part of 14 years before being succeeded by Marcelo, who performed with aplomb in two World Cup tournaments.
The names available to Ancelotti aren't quite as illustrious, and the coach has tried out a rotating cast of characters. Henrique has started two games in the Italian's eight matches in charge, and he's a more regular starter at club level with AS Monaco than Augusto at Inter Milan.
This slot is liable to change in the coming months, but for now, Henrique gets the nod.
Centre-Back: Gabriel Magalhães
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Gabriel Magalhães is one half of perhaps the best centre-back duo on the planet at the moment, forming a stubborn defensive partnership with William Saliba at Arsenal.
The 28-year-old has steadily improved across his six years in north London to reach world-class status, and he will be a key figure not just on the pitch but also in the dressing room for Brazil.
Gabriel may come into the tournament off the back of a Premier League title with the Gunners, so his confidence will be high, and he'll be familiar with many of the forward players he'll come up against in Canada, Mexico and the United States from both domestic and European club matches.
This will be his first World Cup tournament, but he could be one of the first names on the teamsheet now and in 2030 and 2034.
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Centre-Back: Marquinhos
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Marquinhos is the most-capped player in this starting XI, representing Brazil 103 times since his international debut in 2013.
While he wasn't a key figure in his first World Cup squad appearance in 2018, he started all but one game in Qatar in 2022, including a group fixture after the Seleção Canarinho had already qualified for the knockout round.
As the captain of both his club, Paris Saint-Germain, and the national team, Marquinhos will be looked upon as a leader not only by the players attending the tournament for the first time but also by those who have already graced the world stage.
After a stunning season last year with PSG that resulted in a quadruple, including the UEFA Champions League title, the 31-year-old is in the best phase of his career, and that winning mentality will be vital for the historically hyped football nation.
Right-Back: Vanderson
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Long gone are the days when Brazil could rely on players like Djalma Santos, Cafu, and Dani Alves at right-back. Ancelotti has had to chop and change at the position so far in his tenure.
In the Italian's first two games in charge, Vanderson was the pick, but injuries laid the 24-year-old low for subsequent international camps.
With other options such as Wesley, Vitinho, and Paulo Henrique not doing much to convince in the meantime, and Vanderson working his way back to full fitness, it seems likely Ancelotti will call on the player he earmarked for the right-back spot when he first took charge.
Like at left-back, though, there's every chance things could change quickly.
Central Midfielder: Casemiro
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Back in more certain territory now, and Casemiro will almost definitely be suiting up in midfield for what will likely be his final World Cup outing.
The 33-year-old's Manchester United career has been an interesting period of feast and famine, either gobbling up the ball with typical gusto or being completely bypassed by the opposition.
But he's in a good moment, starting 22 of United's 25 Premier League games this season, scoring five and providing two assists while looking more like the player the club signed from Real Madrid in 2022.
That's great news for Brazil, as the national team has long used a midfield enforcer to break up attacks and allow the attacking talent to do what they do best.
With Ancelotti knowing the player well from their time together in Madrid, he'll be relying on Casemiro to implement his tactical philosophy from the centre of the park, setting the tone for the rest of the team.
Central Midfielder: Bruno Guimarães
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Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimarães should really be at a bigger club by now, but the Magpies will be eternally grateful that the 28-year-old has stuck around.
The box-to-box dynamo guided Newcastle to their first major trophy in 70 years last season, and he has nine goals and five assists in the 2025-26 Premier League campaign so far. That's not to mention his impact in taking the north-east side to two Champions League tournaments in the last three years.
Guimarães has been a regular starter for the Seleção Canarinho since 2023, and he's been in the XI for every game of Ancelotti's reign. It would be stunning if that didn't continue into the World Cup.
Left-Winger: Vinícius Júnior
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Vinícius Júnior continues a long line of Brazilian football superstars, and he'll be the magic-maker at the 2026 tournament—not just for his team but at the competition generally.
The 25-year-old has 45 caps for Brazil, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists. But his impact goes beyond simply counting stats, offering a notable threat every time he takes to the pitch.
Amid the turmoil at Real Madrid in the 2025-26 campaign, he has eight goals and 11 assists across 33 games in all competitions, even as his momentum stalled in mid-October as tensions between the winger and then-manager Xabi Alonso became increasingly public. Before then, he had five goals and four assists in just eight league games.
Ancelotti knows how to get the best out of him, nearly managing the player to a Ballon d'Or title in 2024. Under the Italian's guidance, he was also a prominent part of teams that won La Liga and the Champions League twice each.
Vinícius will be essential to Brazil's chances of success, and he'll be assured of a starting place.
Attacking Midfielder: Raphinha
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Raphinha has truly blossomed at Barcelona, having a season for the ages in 2024-25, with 34 goals and 26 assists in 57 games.
While his contributions have slowed this season, with 13 goals and five assists in 22 games, he's still an electric talent on a Barcelona side that is on pace for a second consecutive La Liga title.
Having him sit behind the striker, with the license to switch positions with Vinicius and Rodrygo on the wings, or even to slip into the No. 9 spot, will give Brazil a dynamic attacking threat that will be difficult for opposing teams to handle.
He has only featured three times under Ancelotti, mostly due to injury, but the Italian will be confident Raphinha will adapt to his system quickly and build on the chemistry already established with his attacking teammates.
Right-Winger: Rodrygo
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It's been a tough season for Rodrygo. At the start of the 2025-26 campaign, he was seemingly out of Real Madrid's plans under Alonso and close to leaving the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, with Alvaro Arbeloa in charge, he's back in the first team, although fitness has limited his game time since mid-January.
For Brazil, he has three goal involvements in his last four games, all of which he started. He has the trust of Ancelotti, under whom he made 208 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 59 and assisting 41.
While it won't be his most memorable season at club level, he is still an important part of the national team setup, giving the Seleção Canarinho a scary wing pairing with club-mate Vinícius.
Forward: Matheus Cunha
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Matheus Cunha is the least-capped of the attacking quartet, making only 19 appearances for Brazil, but his impressive performances for Manchester United have seen him shoot up the selection charts for the national team.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers forward got off to a slow start at Old Trafford, but since December, he has five goals and two assists in 12 games.
His positional versatility will be valuable, too, allowing him to interchange with his fellow attackers with ease and create confusion and chaos in the final third.
He'll face competition from João Pedro for the role, but Cunha has more international experience than the Chelsea forward, so that gives him the edge for the moment.
Complete Squad Projection
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Complete 2026 World Cup squad projection
GK: Alisson, Ederson, Bento
DEF: Caio Henrique, Gabriel Magalhães, Marquinhos, Vanderson, Eder Militão, Murillo, Wesley, Carlos Augusto, Alex Sandro
MID: Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães, Andrey Santos, Lucas Paqueta, João Gomes
FWD: Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Raphinha, Matheus Cunha, João Pedro, Estevão, Gabriel Martinelli, Endrick, Savinho
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