Brazil’s all-time most decorated football nation heads into the 2026 FIFA World Cup with something unusual in its luggage: doubt. And their goalkeeper is perfectly fine with that.
Alisson Becker addressed the skepticism head-on during a press conference on June 11, framing the external noise not as a burden but as fuel. For a country that has lifted the trophy five times, being considered anything less than a favorite is a novelty.
The case for comfortable discomfort
Alisson made the point that being labeled as favorites can pile unnecessary pressure onto a squad’s performance.
Brazil haven’t won the World Cup since 2002, a drought stretching nearly a quarter century for a nation that treats the tournament like a birthright.
