The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is just six weeks away as the Arab world is set to play host to the world’s biggest sporting spectacle for the first time in the history of the region, with five-time winners Brazil coming into the tournament ahead of the pack according to the latest FIFA rankings.
Led by former Santos and Barcelona wonderkid and current Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar, the 30-year-old footballing prodigy leads a Seleção outfit under the guidance of Tite brimming with attacking talent through the likes of Vinícius Júnior, Richarlison, Raphinha, Antony, and Roberto Firmino, while also calling on a wealth of experience in defense and plenty of midfield know-how and creativity.
On paper, Brazil undoubtedly will be labeled among the heavy favorites alongside bitter rivals Argentina, holders France, and talented squads the likes of Belgium, England, Germany, and Spain with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Kevin De Bruyne, Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, and Pedri all key standard bearers.
When you realise no men’s side ranked No. 1 heading into the FIFA World Cup has ever won the trophy 😱 pic.twitter.com/ubyhLBdNSw
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 7, 2022
But for Brazil, the fact they come into Qatar as the world’s top-rated side is a poisoned chalice if there ever was one, after one key historical fact has come to the surface; no number one ranked nation coming into the World cup has ever come out the other end as champion.
Despite being in the midst of their own impressive run of form that has seen Tite’s men win ten of their last thirteen clashes on all fronts (10-3-0) while sitting on a seven-match winning run that has included results over fellow upcoming World Cup participants Tunisia, Ghana, Japan, and South Korea, the pressure that comes with being a tournament favorite is a credible hill to overcome.
A tournament such as the World Cup, while exhilarating for fans to watch, is one pressure-cooked match after the next, with just one poor performance on an off-day spelling utter disaster; something that Brazil has already suffered in recent years when they were thrashed 7-1 by eventual champions Germany in 2014 during their semi-final clash on home soil as hosts.
Since then, Brazil has crashed out in the quarter-finals on three occasions other than 2014, and though Neymar is in line to become his nation’s all-time leading scorer as he enters the World Cup on 75 goals and just two behind the legendary Pélé, while also likely to reach second all-time for appearances, the star forward also has yet to win the sports’ greatest honor.
With all likelihood that Neymar will have two additional chances before he calls time on his career by the time the 2030 tournament rolls about, though he will be 38 by then, there is more than enough motivation on the table for Brazil to capture its sixth tournament win despite what the history books suggest.
