The pre-tournament favourites, Brazil yet again came up short in their bid to win a sixth World Cup, falling at the quarter-final stage after a dramatic penalty shootout loss to Croatia.
That means that they will not have lifted the trophy for 24 years by the time the 2026 tournament kicks off, adding extra pressure to a squad that always has more eyes than most analysing their every move.
It is a squad that is likely to be without Neymar, though he will only be 34 by that point and might, given the disappointment of this last tournament, fancy one more go at picking up the ultimate prize in international football.
If we are to take Neymar at his pre-Qatar word and he won’t be there in 2026, then who will take his place? And who from the 2022 team will still be around to go again in the United States, Canada and Mexico?
GOAL has had a go at putting together what could be their starting line up by that point…
GK: Ederson
It’s well established that Brazil have the best goalkeeping tandem in world football, with Alisson Becker and Ederson fighting it out to be the No.1.
Alisson has held off the challenge of the Manchester City man over the last few years, and it’s a battle we see continuing through until the 2026 tournament too.
In the end, we’ve gone for the slightly younger man, with Ederson set to be 32 at the next World Cup, while Alisson will be 33, but in truth either could be the man between the sticks when the Selecao kick-off their competition.
RB: Vinicius Tobias
When Brazil named their squad for the World Cup, right-back was an area that was spoken about as being their main weakness, highlighted by the fact that 39-year-old Dani Alves was still being selected.
Obviously the legendary ex-Barcelona man won’t make it to 2026, and it’s unlikely Danilo will either given he will be 34, but obvious up-and-comers are not easy to spot.
We’ve gone, then, with Vinicius Tobias, who has acquitted himself well since joining Real Madrid in the summer with some strong performances for Castilla in the Spanish third tier.
Another who there remains hope for is Yan Couto, who Manchester City beat Barcelona to sign in 2020, though he is yet to make an appearance for the Premier League champions as he spends his third successive season out on loan.
CB: Eder Militao
Militao filled in well at right-back in Qatar after Danilo was first injured and then moved over to left-back to cover for the absences of others, but we expect him to slot back into his favoured central role over the next few years.
The Real Madrid centre-back is still only 24, and so should be entering the prime years of his career as we move towards the next World Cup.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes is 11 months younger than Militao and will be hopeful of forcing himself back into contention, while if you’re looking for a potentially more inexperienced option, then Kaiky Melo could be a man to watch.
The 18-year-old was heavily linked with Barcelona and Real Madrid before moving to Spain to Almeria from Santos over the summer, and he has not looked overawed during his first months in La Liga.
CB: Marquinhos
It was Marquinhos’ missed penalty that confirmed Brazil’s exit from the World Cup, but the Paris Saint-Germain star cannot be blamed for the Selecao’s failures in Qatar.
Instead, he will in all likelihood be Brazil’s captain in 2026, taking over the armband from his long-time central defensive partner, Thiago Silva.
LB: Guilherme Arana
Left-back is another position that Brazil need to find a long-term answer for, with current incumbents Alex Sandro and Alex Telles set to be 35 and 33, respectively, when the next World Cup kicks-off.
Arana, then, profiles as a pretty decent option to step in. The Atletico Mineiro man already has four caps for his country, and at 25, should be about to make the step up in class over the next couple of seasons.
His first stint in Europe with Sevilla and Atalanta did not go well, but Premier League clubs have reportedly been showing an interest in signing him over the past 12 months.
Other options could be Renan Lodi, who is 24 but has seen his stock fall since joining Nottingham Forest on loan from Atletico Madrid, and Sao Paulo teenager Patryck Lanza.
CM: Andre
One of the best central midfielders in Brazilian football during the 2022 season, Fluminense star Andre (21) has been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona as he prepares for what seems to be an inevitable move to Europe.
Casemiro, Fabinho and Fred will all be in their mid-30s by the time next World Cup comes around, and Andre is the current leader of a pack of defensive midfielders who will be looking to step up ahead of 2026.
Palmeiras’ Danilo (21), who continues to be a target for Arsenal, has already had a senior call-up, while 18-year-old Andrey Santos has been likened to Sergio Busquets amid some eye-catching displays for Vasco da Gama.
Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz will also hope to catch the eye, as will another Palmeiras youngster, Gabriel Menino.
CM: Bruno Guimaraes
Given his form for Newcastle this season, there were a few Premier League supporters who were surprised at how little Bruno Guimaraes was used in Qatar, but that should change in 2026.
He will be 28 in three-and-a-half years time, and should be able to take his place as the key cog in the Brazilian midfield by then.
CM: Lucas Paqueta
The role of stepping into the position vacated by Neymar is not an easy one, but Paqueta will at least have decent experience of playing at a World Cup on his side having been a regular starter in Qatar, albeit in a slightly deeper position.
The West Ham star is still only 25, and the hope is that he can kick on over the next few years to become a genuine star of the Premier League.
If his form does tail off, though, there are others who will hope they can make a case for selection in 2026, including Marseille’s Gerson, as well as Flamengo’s teenage duo of Matheus Franca and Victor Hugo.
Watch out, too, for 16-year-old Palmeiras starlet Luis Guilherme, who has been able to hide in the shadow of long-time team-mate Endrick for a long time, but is regarded as being almost as talented.
RW: Rodrygo
The battle to play out wide for Brazil was hotly-contested ahead of the 2022 World Cup, and nothing is likely to change when the tournament moves to the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Rodrygo’s development at Real Madrid over the past 12 months gives the 21-year-old the advantage to play off the right at the moment, but there is no shortage of other contenders.
Neither Raphinha (25) nor Antony (22) will believe that their World Cup careers are over quite yet, while Santos’ Angelo Gabriel and PSV loanee Savinho (both 18) are seen as two of the brightest young talents in Brazilian football right now.
So too, for what it’s worth, is 15-year-old Palmeiras starlet Estevao Willian, who has the likes Barcelona, Arsenal and PSG chasing him, and though 2026 may come too early for him, do not be shocked if he is being talked about as a potential late bolter for the squad.
LW: Vinicius Junior
The fight to start on the left is likely to be a little more straightforward, with it expected that Vinicius will become the new face of the national team once Neymar decides to move on.
That is not to say that the Real Madrid man does not have challengers, with Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli the most obvious given how he caught the eye himself when given opportunities in Qatar.
It’s also worth keeping tabs on Palmeiras’ Giovani, who has been spoken about as player with a similar skillset to Antony, albeit while playing off the other flank.
ST: Pedro
The player chosen to wear the No.9 shirt for Brazil always has the eyes of the world on them, and the three players who battled for that honour in 2022 are likely to be in the mix again in 2026.
Pedro, Richarlison and Gabriel Jesus are all currently 25, and all will feel that they have at least one more World Cup in their legs.
We have opted for perhaps the most natural goalscorer of the three in Pedro, but they all have their own strengths that Brazil’s next boss may be keen to utilise.
There is, however, a chance that they will all have been usurped over the coming years by teenage sensation Endrick, who it now seems is destined for Real Madrid after an almighty battle to sign the Palmeiras 16-year-old between all of Europe’s biggest clubs.
There’s also a chance that at least one of Matheus Cunha (Atletico Madrid, 23), Marcos Leonardo (Santos, 19) or Vitor Roque (Athletico Paranaense, 18) makes the leap, too. Source: goal.com
