The five-time winners Brazil entered the fray against Serbia in their opening match of the World Cup 2022 campaign when they survived with a 2-0 victory without any hysterical incident after a glittering show in the second half.
However, now there are so much chatting are going with the all times favourites, who always counted among the top contenders of the World Cup and sometimes they are also rated as the hot favourites.
Despite Brazil crowned last in 2002, just 20 years back, but nothing problem to consider them as among top favorites to win the Cup, now there is question raised that will 20-year cycle work for Brazil?
Brazil’s legendary 1970 side of Pele, Rivelino, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto are still regarded as the greatest World Cup team in history and despite being favourites again this time, the 2022 iteration is unlikely to hit those glorious heights.
But Brazil are surely due a big tournament, having not lifted the trophy since 2002 when Ronaldo (the real one) shook off the trauma of the 1998 final by plundering eight goals and even finding time for a daft haircut.
Looking at 20-year cycles bodes well for Brazil. In 1962: winners, 1982: best team not to have won, 2002: winners. But if his side are leaning on fate, current manager Tite will quickly drum that out of them as Qatar 2022 is fast developing into a World Cup of shocks.
Saudi Arabia and Japan have stunned Argentina and Germany, respectively and Thursday’s opponents Serbia had the potential to tweak Brazil’s noses, but the Selecao blanked them (Serbia) by 2-0 when they won at this same stage four years back in 2018 in Russia.
Brazil haven’t failed to top their World Cup group since 1978. If that streak ends here, maybe history is crumbling before all eyes. Which seems a good time to revisit Pele’s quote that an African nation would win the World Cup by 2000. That claim in 1977 gave the Brazilian legend six editions of the event to play with. He clearly needed more. Time has ticked on and no African side is yet to even make a semi-final. Three have reached the quarters and two of those, Cameroon and Ghana, make their Qatar 2022 bows on Thursday. Despite the memories of Roger Milla’s corner flag dances and the collective felling of a hurdling Claudio Caniggia in 1990, Cameroon haven’t won a match at the World Cup since 2002. Thursday’s opponents Switzerland look strong enough to extend that unwanted sequence further.