Seleção’s Leader
Brazil is the team with arguably the most pressure of any this summer with captain Marquinhos tasked with leading his country after recent disappointments. If Brazil are to lift the trophy for the first time since 2002, it will be because Marquinhos was able to lead a team of world stars to the finish line. It’s very easy to say that as goes Marquinhos, so goes Brazil.
Marquinhos is a center back and the captain for both Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil. He’s the oldest and longest serving player for PSG, and finally won the Champions League last year. For Brazil, he’s won an Olympic gold medal and Copa América, but the World Cup has eluded them for 24 years. He is tasked with leading this team to reclaim the trophy and earn a sixth star.
Poised in Defense
Marquinhos has become one of the best center backs in the world, who is normally very disciplined in the back line. He doesn’t dive into tackles, but can play physical while remaining composed under pressure. He can also get the attack started with crisp passing and through balls to move the attack forward quickly. But, his main job is serving as the quarterback of the defense.
If he has a weakness, it’s that he has a tendency to disappear in big matches. A lot of that stigma was broken when PSG lifted the Champions League trophy last year, but on the international level that will remain the Achilles heel for him (and Brazil) until they can meet their lofty expectations.
International Experience
Despite making his debut in November 2013, Marquinhos did not make the World Cup roster when Brazil hosted in 2014. He made his World Cup debut in 2018, appearing for just a single minute at the end of their Round of 16 win over Mexico. Marquinhos played in every match for Brazil in the 2022 World Cup, starting all but their final group stage match as Brazil eventually fell to Croatia on penalties in the quarterfinals.
In total, Marquinhos has 104 caps for Brazil with seven goals and four assists.
Brazil at the World Cup
Make no mistake, Brazil expect to win every World Cup they are in, and every time they don’t win, the pressure mounts even further. This matches the longest drought between titles and they hope it ends in New Jersey on July 19. Brazil are always one of the favorites, but they are not the prohibitive favorite this year.
Marquinhos will be expected to lead them to the title. He’s ready to embrace that pressure and hope it will bring him the eternal glory of being the latest captain that lifts the World Cup trophy for the Seleção.
- Brazil vs Morocco — June 13 — 6 p.m. ET from East Rutherford, NJ (MetLife Stadium)
- Brazil vs Haiti — June 19 — 8:30 p.m. ET from Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field)
- Brazil vs Scotland — June 24 — 6 p.m. ET from Miami (Hard Rock Stadium)
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