Brazil Prepares for Norway Clash with Key Injuries
Brazil survived Japan. Barely.
A stoppage-time winner dragged them into the round of 16, but the performance left more bruises than belief as they prepare to face a fearless Norway at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, June 5.
Carlo Ancelotti, usually the calmest man in any storm, now walks into this knockout tie juggling injuries, form, and history – and none of those are on his side.
A patched‑up Brazil
The projected XI tells its own story.
Alisson will stand in goal, shielded by a back four of Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel and Douglas Santos. In front of them, Bruno Guimaraes and Casemiro are expected to form the midfield base, with Rayan, Matheus Cunha and Vinicius Junior supporting Endrick up front.
On paper, that still looks like a team that can hurt anyone. But the absentees cut deep.
Raphinha is still not ready to return. Lucas Paqueta has been ruled out with a hamstring injury at the worst possible time. Wesley’s earlier injury has already forced Danilo into right back, trimming Ancelotti’s flexibility even further.
Casemiro limped out of the win over Japan, a worrying sight for a side that already looked fragile between the lines. For now, he is still expected to play, but Brazil walk into this tie knowing that one more setback could rip a hole straight through the spine of the team.
The selection dilemma
Ancelotti’s biggest decision sits in that space Paqueta usually owns.
The bold, almost obvious, solution is to unleash Endrick from the start in Paqueta’s place. That shift would drop Matheus Cunha into the playmaker role behind the striker, keeping Brazil’s front four aggressive, mobile and unpredictable. It is the kind of setup that can suffocate opponents, especially if Vinicius Junior finds space to run at defenders.
The alternative is far more cautious. Danilo Santos could step into midfield, adding an extra layer of protection in front of the back line and leaving Cunha as the central striker. It would sacrifice some creativity between the lines, but with Norway’s direct threat, Ancelotti might decide control and security matter more than flair.
There is also the name that hovers over every Brazil lineup discussion: Neymar.
He remains the natural playmaker in this squad, the player who can bend a knockout game to his will. But he is still not fully ready to return, and this is not the stage for half-fit gambles. Ancelotti must weigh the temptation of his star’s genius against the risk of disrupting a side already walking a tightrope physically.
Haaland, history, and a Norwegian problem
Norway arrive with fewer doubts and one enormous weapon.
Erling Haaland has erupted in his first World Cup, scoring five goals and dragging his country into the last 16 for the first time in 28 years. He does not need many chances. He barely needs the ball. One cross, one long ball, one lapse in concentration – that is all it takes.
For Brazil, the danger is not just Haaland’s form. It is the weight of history.
Across four meetings, Brazil have never beaten Norway. The memory that stings most is the 2-1 defeat at the 1998 World Cup, a night that still lurks in the background whenever these two nations share a pitch. For a country that measures itself by World Cup dominance, Norway remain an awkward, stubborn outlier.
Now they meet again, with Brazil bruised, short-handed, and carrying the burden of expectation.
Ancelotti must decide: protect what he has, or trust the next generation to attack their way through a fixture that has never been kind to Brazil.
On Sunday in New Jersey, we find out whether this patched-up side can finally rewrite a matchup that has always belonged to Norway – or whether that old story gets another brutal chapter.
