Brazil’s Attacking Dilemma: Can Vinícius, Rodrygo, and Raphinha Fill Neymar’s Void?

The Neymar chapter has closed, ushering in a new generation. Vinícius, Rodrygo, Raphinha, Endrick—Brazil has talent in abundance, but will any of them rise to global superstardom?

A New Era, Same High Expectations: Brazil’s Road to Redemption

Their latest World Cup qualification campaign marks a shift from the setups seen in 2018 and 2022. Following consecutive quarter-final eliminations, longtime coach Tite stepped aside, ending his reign at the helm.

Brazil’s heartbreaking penalty loss to Croatia in Qatar 2022 extended their World Cup drought to 20 years, matching their longest title-less spell since their maiden triumph in 1958. While other nations might see a trophy every 24 years as a major feat, for Brazil, it’s an unacceptable gap.

The road to 2026 began with interim leadership, as Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz split duties, the latter balancing his national team commitments with managing Fluminense.

After failing to secure Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid, the CBF turned inward. In early 2024, Dorival Júnior took the reins, boasting recent Copa do Brasil victories with São Paulo (2023) and Flamengo (2022), alongside a Copa Libertadores title with the latter.

However, Dorival faces the challenge of forging ahead without the nation’s most influential figure of the last decade and a half. Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals, suffered a devastating ACL tear in October 2023 while on international duty, sidelining him for over a year. His injury troubles mounted shortly after his blockbuster move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, with a hamstring issue compounding his struggles just weeks later, ruling him out for the rest of the year.

Eager for a fresh chapter, Neymar returned to Santos, the club where his professional journey began in 2009. He made an immediate impact, netting three times in seven outings, earning a recall from Dorival. However, another injury setback forced him to miss the Paulistão semi-final against Corinthians, leading to his withdrawal from the national squad once again.

Despite limited appearances, his influence has been undeniable. Featuring in just four of Brazil’s 12 World Cup qualifiers, Neymar has still recorded five goal involvements (two goals, three assists). Only four players across South America have surpassed that tally—Nicolás de la Cruz (6 in 7), James Rodríguez (6 in 12), Darwin Núñez (7 in 10), and Lionel Messi (9 in 9)—each having played more matches.

With their star sidelined, Dorival has looked to emerging talent. Since taking charge in 2024, he has handed senior debuts to 15 players, hoping to revamp Brazil’s attacking options.

Yet challenges persist. Despite boasting some of Europe’s most in-form forwards, Brazil find themselves fifth in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings, still reeling from last summer’s Copa América quarter-final exit.

Vinícius Júnior: Brazil’s Hope, but Still a Work in Progress

A standout performer, Vinícius Júnior has solidified his status among football’s elite. After clinching The Best FIFA Men’s Player award last year, he has maintained his brilliance for Real Madrid, amassing 29 goal involvements this season—just four short of his previous campaign’s total (33).

Now sharing the spotlight with Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius remains one of La Liga’s most electrifying attackers. With 150 attempted dribbles, he ranks third in the league, trailing only Nico Williams (154) and Lamine Yamal (197), while Mbappé closely follows with 148.

For Brazil, he has tried to mirror that aggressive, direct approach, averaging 6.2 take-ons per 90 minutes in World Cup qualifiers, slightly below his 7.9 per 90 at Madrid. However, his national team output remains modest—zero goals and just one assist in 550 minutes of play.

Rodrygo’s Club Brilliance Yet to Shine for Brazil

Like Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo has struggled to translate his Real Madrid form onto the international stage. Despite concerns over his role following Kylian Mbappé’s arrival, the 24-year-old has remained an integral part of Madrid’s attack, contributing 22 goal involvements this season—the same as Jude Bellingham and trailing only Vinícius (29) and Mbappé (36). He also leads Madrid in La Liga for chances created (46), tied with Luka Modric.

However, his impact for Brazil has been underwhelming. In 10 World Cup qualifying appearances, he has scored just three goals—two of which came in the opening match against Bolivia—and has yet to register an assist. While his 10 open-play chances created match Neymar’s tally, he remains outside the top 10 for chance creation among all South American players.

Raphinha’s Club Heroics Yet to Fully Translate for Brazil

With Neymar sidelined, Raphinha’s exceptional form for Barcelona should provide Brazil with a much-needed attacking spark. While he leads the Seleção in goals under Dorival Júnior (4), his international output has yet to match his staggering club numbers.

The winger has been electric for Barça, tallying 45 goal involvements in the 2024-25 season—second only to Mohamed Salah (54) across Europe’s top five leagues. No Brazilian has reached such heights since Neymar’s 51-goal haul in 2015-16, a record Raphinha is on track to surpass. His UEFA Champions League performances have been particularly historic, setting a new record for most goals by a Brazilian in a single season (11). He has also created 117 chances across all competitions—37 more than any other La Liga player.

For Brazil, his five goals and two assists in 15 appearances (1,125 minutes) under Dorival are promising, but many still recall his disappointing 2022 World Cup campaign, where he failed to register a single goal contribution in 317 minutes. With Neymar’s absence lingering, now is the time for Raphinha to make his mark at the international level.

Brazil’s Next Generation: Depth and Promise in Attack

Beyond their established stars, Brazil’s attack is brimming with young talent. While teenage sensations Endrick and Estevão Willian are still developing, Savinho and João Pedro provide quality alternatives.

Savinho has seamlessly adapted to life at Manchester City, leading the team with nine assists across all competitions. His breakout campaign at Girona saw him top La Liga for open-play expected assists (8.8) and goal involvements following carries (10).

João Pedro, despite injury setbacks, continues to grow at Brighton. The 23-year-old has netted 28 goals since his arrival, though 13 have come from the penalty spot. Remarkably, he has won nine of those penalties himself—more than any Premier League player in that period.

Matheus Cunha is another key figure. After a career-best 14-goal season, he has already surpassed that tally in 2024-25 with 15 strikes. His influence at Wolves is undeniable, contributing to nearly half of their Premier League goals (13 goals, four assists, 43%).

With six of Brazil’s attacking options for the qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina aged 24 or younger, the future is bright. The question remains: can Dorival Júnior mold this generation into a team capable of ending Brazil’s World Cup drought?

Read More: Barca Academy Returns to India: A New Era for Grassroots Football

FAQs