Brazil rolled over Haiti 3-0 in their second World Cup group game, shaking off a sluggish draw against Morocco to open the tournament. Matheus Cunha bagged a brace inside the first half hour, and Vinícius Júnior added a slick finish before the break. It should have been a clean, stress-free night in Philadelphia. But then Raphinha grabbed his right thigh and walked off just before halftime.
The Brazilian federation confirmed the Barcelona winger has a right hamstring injury, though they’re not calling it tournament-ending yet. That’s a small mercy compared to what happened to defender Wesley, who was ruled out of the entire competition. Raphinha will stay with the squad in the U.S. and go through what the team is calling an intensive treatment protocol. Nobody’s ready to say when — or if — he’ll be back on the field.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti already walked into this World Cup without Rodrygo, Estêvão, and Éder Militão, all out with serious injuries. Losing another attacker, especially one in Raphinha’s form, is not ideal. The team hasn’t said much beyond the fact that he hasn’t been ruled out completely, which is about as murky an update as you can get. The guy’s not off the plane, but he’s also not practicing. You do the math.
Neymar’s back on the menu
On the brighter side, Ancelotti confirmed that Neymar will be available for Brazil’s next match. The 33-year-old sat out the first two group games with a calf issue, but he’s been training and looks ready to go. Whether he starts or comes off the bench is unclear, but just having him in the squad changes things. Neymar is Neymar, even if his body doesn’t cooperate as much as it used to.
Brazil sits at the top of Group C after the win, and they’re in decent shape to lock up a Round of 32 spot against Scotland on Wednesday in Miami Gardens. The group stage format is forgiving, but knockout soccer in a World Cup is a different beast. You need depth, and right now Brazil’s depth chart is getting thinner by the day.
Ancelotti has to figure out how to get the most out of a lineup that’s missing some key pieces while integrating a superstar who hasn’t played a minute yet. That’s a puzzle, but it’s a good puzzle to have compared to some other managers in this tournament. If Raphinha can get back, great. If not, the team will have to rely on guys like Rayan and maybe a few younger players stepping up.
For now, the win over Haiti was dominant. The question is whether it means anything for what comes next. Brazil’s next few days will tell a lot about how serious their title hopes really are.
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