Raphinha believes Vinicius Junior can lead Brazil to a sixth World Cup title, praising the squad’s quality and preparation ahead of the 2026 tournament
Barcelona winger Raphinha has expressed strong confidence that Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has the quality to lead Brazil to a record sixth FIFA World Cup title.
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The Brazilian forward made the remarks during the national team’s training camp ahead of the 2026 World Cup, as pressure continues to mount on the Seleção to end their long wait for global success.
Brazil last won the World Cup in 2002 and have since struggled to replicate that dominance, failing to reach the final in recent editions.
With Neymar sidelined through injury, greater responsibility is expected to fall on Vinicius and Raphinha to drive the team’s attacking threat.
Raphinha praised his international teammate despite their club rivalry in Spain, insisting Vinicius possesses the talent and maturity to decide matches at the highest level.
“Vini is young, but with his experience and achievements, he can decide a World Cup match and bring home the sixth championship,” Raphinha said. “I include myself in that group.”
He added that Brazil’s chances will depend heavily on defensive discipline as well as attacking quality, stressing the importance of balance in tournament football.
“We arrive very well prepared. We have to train the defensive part a lot. If we defend well, the possibility of winning is very big,” he said.
Brazil will begin their World Cup campaign against Morocco before facing Haiti and Scotland in Group C.
Also read: Infantino Faces Pressure Over World Cup Chaos Ahead
The squad, coached by Carlo Ancelotti, will be aiming to end a 24-year wait for international football’s biggest prize.
