Qatar 2022: Brazil eyes to win record sixth World Cup title

Brazil's Neymar celebrates with his team. (Reuters)

When the FIFA World Cup 2022 kicks off in Qatar on Nov 20, Brazil will be eyeing their sixth trophy after a long wait since they last claimed gold 20 years ago. The mainstay of the world is the most successful side in the championships history with five titles: Sweden 1958, Chile 1962, Mexico 1970, USA 1994, and South Korea and Japan 2002. Drawn in group G along with Switzerland, Serbia, and Cameroon, The Selecao will be the favourites to lead the group stage. Brazil's debut in Qatar 2022 will be against Serbia on Nov 24 at Lusail Stadium. Their second match will be on Nov 28 against Switzerland at 974 Stadium. Their last group stage encounter will be against Cameroon on Dec 2 at Lusail Stadium. During the championship, Tite's team will stay at the Westin Hotel Central Doha. They will use Grand Hamad Stadium, home ground of Al Arabi SC, as a training venue. Neymar's teammates will go into the championship as the biggest favorites, as their performance under manager Tite is improving rapidly. The 60-year-old was hired in 2016 at a time when they were the most favourites to lay their hands on the cup in the FIFA 2018 edition. However, Brazil lost 1-2 to Belgium in the quarterfinals. A year later, Tite's men showed a more mature performance, winning their ninth Copa America title after defeating Peru 3-1 in the final. In the 2021 Copa America edition, held in Brazil, they lost to Argentina 0-1 in the final. The constantly improving performance under Tite was on display again in their CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. They were undefeated, collecting 45 points, making Brazil the strong favourite for the World Cup title. In Qatar, The Selecao most likely expected to continue their strong performance with a squad full of top-notch players. They have a group of talented attacking players- the likes of Paris Saint-Germain's superstar Neymar, Barcelona's Raphael Dias, known as Raphinha, Real Madrid's duo Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, Manchester United's Antony, Liverpool's Roberto Firmino, Atletico Madrid's Matheus Cunha, Tottenham's Richarlison and Pedro who plays for domestic side Flamengo. The Selecao have outstanding midfielders as well like Man United's Casimiro, Liverpool's Fabinho, Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes, and West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta. The team is also no short of strong defenders like PSG's Marquinhos, Real Madrid's Militao, Juventus' duo Alex Sandro and Danilo, Chelsea's Thiago Silva, and Alex Telles of Sevilla. Brazil have two of the worlds best goalkeepers in Alisson Becker of Liverpool, who lost the 2022 champions league final to Real Madrid and Ederson who plays for the premier league title holders Man City. Perhaps the cornerstone for the Selecao would be harmony in the pitch. Brazil secured their first-ever world cup trophy in 1958 in Sweden. This edition marked the arrival of Pele as a great forward on the world stage. The then 17-year old, who was later labelled the greatest by FIFA, was named the best player in the championship. He scored a hat-trick in the semi-final against France before he struck a brace in their 5-2 win over hosts Sweden in the final. In the 1962 FIFA World Cup, Pele's teammates defended their title, thanks to a 3-1 victory over then Czechoslovakia in Santiago de Chile. Brazil's third star was in 1970 when the team destroyed Italy in the final, beating the Euro 1968 winner 4-1. In Pasadena, California, in 1994, Brazil were crowned champions for the fourth time after defeating Italy 3-2 in a penalty shoot-out. The game ended goalless after an extra time. The Selecao hit their record as the five-time world champions in South Korea and Japan in 2002. A brace from Ronaldo in the 2-0 final match victory against Germany secured the unprecedented achievement. Brazil has the best overall record in World Cup history with 73 wins in 109 matches played, 124 goal difference, 237 points and only 18 losses. On the continental level, Brazil won nine Copa America titles from 32 appearances in the championship. Out of the last six Copa America editions, Brazil won four trophies, showing it has the upper hand in South America. Over their long Copa America history, Brazil won 108 matches out of 191, 226 goal difference, and 45 losses. Over their long history, Brazil's nation gave the world dozens of legendary players, led by Pele, who was named the Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee. Along with Pele, there are superstars like Garrincha, Zico, Socrates, Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Kaka, Ronaldinho and Neymar. Hosting of the World Cup in Asia may be a source of optimism for the Selecao lovers worldwide. Brazil claimed their fifth trophy in South Korea and Japan in 2002, Neymar's mates could secure their sixth star at the Lusail Stadium in Doha in 2022.