Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker said Brazil are not among the favourites to win the World Cup but insisted being tipped as favourites offers no advantage and adds pressure. "Being among the favourites is no guarantee for anybody," he said at a press conference in New Jersey on June 11, where Brazil is preparing for the tournament [1, 2].
Alisson, 33, is fully fit for the World Cup after a string of recurring injuries and is set to play in his third tournament. "What really matters is the condition you are at the first game. We are ready," he said [1, 2]. Alisson hopes to join the select group of Brazilian goalkeepers who have won World Cups. Brazil has won the tournament five times in total [1, 2].
Brazil qualified for the World Cup in fifth place in the South American qualifiers, behind Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia and Uruguay, highlighting a challenging qualifying campaign [1, 2]. Italian Carlo Ancelotti, 67, was appointed Brazil coach before the final two qualifying matches, becoming the nation's first foreign head coach. He has been at the helm for nearly a year [1, 2].
Ancelotti has focused on shoring up Brazil's defense, which has been an area of weakness. "Some of those goals could have been avoided. We are working on it, because the World Cup is a short tournament," Alisson noted [1].
Brazil's first World Cup game will be against Morocco on June 17 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey [1, 2]. This match marks the start of Brazil’s attempt to claim a sixth World Cup title.