Ahead of Round of 16 against Norway: Brazil Hopes for Raphinha's Return

Ancelotti Praises the Progress

At the same time, Ancelotti described Raphinha as very important for the team and very valuable in certain moments. Even before the match, the Brazilian federation had stated that the player had returned to the squad.

Beyond the Raphinha situation, Ancelotti is particularly concerned about the absence of playmaker Lucas Paqueta, who is unavailable due to injury. The coach acknowledged that he does not have a comparable player type to the creative hub in his current squad.

As possible alternatives for the playmaker position, Ancelotti named Danilo and Gabriel Martinelli. Martinelli had already taken on a key role in the Round of 16 against Japan, scoring the decisive goal in stoppage time for the 2:1 victory.

Shortage in the Playmaker Position

Brazil had won 3:0 against Haiti in the group stage, among other matches, during which Raphinha sustained the thigh injury. He subsequently missed the following games of the team, which had entered the tournament as record world champions.

The Round of 16 clash against Norway is scheduled for Sunday evening at 22:00 German time at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford and will be broadcast live by MagentaTV. For Brazil, the goal is to take the next step toward defending the title or, respectively, another World Cup triumph.

Outlook on the Duel with Norway

Should Raphinha really only be available as a substitute, Ancelotti would have to distribute the offensive burden onto other shoulders. Martinelli demonstrated his goal-scoring threat against Japan and could, together with other offensive players, fill the gap left by Paqueta and potentially also by Raphinha, who is not yet fully fit.

Ancelotti also emphasized that Raphinha was not yet fully recovered but was making progress. A final decision on whether to deploy him from the start or only during the match is likely to be made on game day.

Overall, the personnel situation for the Seleção remains tense, even though Raphinha's return has made Brazilian supporters optimistic. On German television, the broadcast begins late on Sunday evening, when the record world champions' team faces the Scandinavian outsider in the first knockout match of this year's World Cup finals.