Brazil 2026 Rebuild Relies on Moscardo Endrick and Murillo Pool

In December 2022, Brazil's World Cup campaign ended in a quarterfinal penalty loss to Croatia. Neymar was in tears, and the team's 4-2-3-1 shape looked rigid. Casemiro, then 30, could not cover the spaces behind him. Thiago Silva, 38, was exposed for pace. The attack relied on Vinicius Junior's dribbles into traffic. The system, built around individual brilliance, had no plan B. Three and a half years later, the squad that lands in North America for the 2026 tournament bears little resemblance to that side. The average age has dropped by roughly three years. The tactical shape has shifted. And the new spine—midfielder Gabriel Moscardo, forward Endrick, and centre-back Murillo—represents a deliberate, evidence-led rebuild.

From 2022 Exit to a New Core

The 2022 quarterfinal loss to Croatia was not a shock in isolation—Brazil had struggled to control midfield in earlier rounds, and the knockout stage exposed a systemic over-reliance on individual moments. Neymar's brilliant goal against Croatia came from a solo run, but it masked the team's inability to build sustained pressure. Casemiro lacked the mobility to screen a high line, and Thiago Silva's reading of the game could not compensate for a lack of pace beside him. The squad's average age that day was 27.8 years; by the start of 2026 qualifiers, it had dropped to 24.6.

After the 2022 exit, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and then-coach Tite had already begun integrating younger players. But the real acceleration came under new management. By the time the 2026 qualifying campaign began, the squad featured only four players over 30, compared to nine in 2022. The new core—Moscardo, Endrick, and Murillo—had a combined 23 senior caps when the cycle started. By the end of qualifying, that number had grown to over 70.

The transition was not without pain. Brazil drew three of their first six qualifiers, struggling to find rhythm with new combinations. But the trend was clear: the team that had been built around Neymar's creativity now looked to a younger, more physically robust spine. The average pass completion rate in qualifying rose from 84% in the 2022 cycle to 88%, and the team conceded 0.6 goals per game versus 0.9 in 2022. The rebuild was producing measurable improvement, even if the results were not yet spectacular.

Gabriel Moscardo as Metronomic Anchor

Gabriel Moscardo debuted for Corinthians at 17, a rangy central midfielder who seemed to have a built-in radar for danger. His breakthrough came in 2023, when he started 22 league matches and drew comparisons to a younger Casemiro. But Moscardo's game is not a carbon copy. Where Casemiro relied on positioning and tactical fouls, Moscardo uses his 6-foot-1 frame to intercept passes and then immediately turn forward. After a loan to Chelsea in 2024 and a permanent move in 2025, he settled into Premier League football, where his pass completion rate hovered near 90%—in the 95th percentile among midfielders.

What sets Moscardo apart is his progressive passing. He averages roughly 6.3 progressive passes per 90 minutes, a figure that places him among the top 10 midfielders in Europe's top five leagues. In Brazil's 4-3-3, he drops between the centre-backs to receive the ball, then scans for vertical options. Against Uruguay in a qualifier in March 2026, he completed 11 passes into the final third—more than any Brazilian midfielder had managed in a single match since 2021. His ability to break lines reduces the burden on the forwards to drop deep, allowing Endrick and Vinicius to stay high.

The trade-off is that Moscardo is not a natural destroyer. He wins roughly 55% of his defensive duels, a figure that lags behind prime Casemiro's 65%. In transition-heavy matches—like the likely group-stage meeting with France—Brazil may need to pair him with a more defensive midfielder, such as João Gomes, to avoid being overrun. But Moscardo's mobility and passing range offer a different dimension: the ability to control possession rather than just break up play. For a team that averaged 62% possession in qualifying (up from 54% in 2022), that trade-off is worth making.

Endrick's Transition from Prodigy to Reliable Outlet

Endrick was 16 when he made his senior debut for Palmeiras, and the hype was immediate. By the time he moved to Real Madrid in 2024, he had already scored 18 goals in 66 appearances for the Brazilian club. But the jump to European football is rarely linear, and Endrick's first season in Spain was a mix of flashes and frustration. He started only 12 La Liga matches in 2024-25, managing 0.48 non-penalty xG per 90—promising but not dominant. The following season, however, he broke through: 0.64 non-penalty xG per 90, with 14 goals in all competitions by February 2026.

For Brazil, Endrick's role has evolved from a late-game impact substitute to a starting central striker. In the 2026 qualifying campaign, he started 8 of 10 matches, scoring 6 goals and adding 3 assists. His link-up play has improved markedly: he averages 1.8 key passes per game, up from 0.9 in his first season at Madrid. That growth is critical because Brazil's attack no longer revolves around a single creator. Vinicius Junior remains the primary dribbler, but Endrick's ability to hold the ball and combine with midfield runners gives the attack a focal point it lacked in 2022, when Richarlison often played as a makeshift centre-forward.

At 20 years old, Endrick already has 14 senior international goals—a rate of roughly one every two games. But the sample is small, and the World Cup will be his first truly high-stakes tournament. His movement in the box is instinctive, but he can still be bullied by physical centre-backs, as he was against Argentina in November 2025, when he won only 2 of 8 aerial duels. The coaching staff have worked on his positioning in crossing situations, and he has added roughly 3 kilograms of muscle since his Madrid debut. Still, the question remains: can he carry the goal-scoring burden if Vinicius is double-marked? The answer will define Brazil's knockout-stage ceiling.

Murillo's Ball-Playing Revolution at Centre-Back

When Nottingham Forest signed Murillo from Corinthians in 2024 for roughly €15 million, few outside Brazil knew much about him. By the end of his first Premier League season, he was one of the league's most progressive centre-backs. He averages 3.1 long passes completed per 90, and his 5.2 progressive carries per 90 rank him in the top five among centre-backs in England's top flight. For Brazil, his arrival has been transformative. Alongside Marquinhos, he forms a centre-back partnership that combines Marquinhos's experience with Murillo's ability to step into midfield and create numerical advantages.

In Brazil's 4-3-3, the full-backs invert to form a midfield diamond, which leaves the centre-backs exposed to counter-attacks. Murillo's speed and passing range mitigate that risk. He can carry the ball out of defence when pressed, bypassing the opposition's first line, and his long diagonals to the opposite winger have become a regular attacking weapon. In a qualifier against Colombia in 2025, he completed 7 long passes, three of which led directly to shots. That kind of output allows Brazil to play a high defensive line—something they struggled to do in 2022, when slower centre-backs forced the team to sit deeper.

The partnership with Marquinhos is not without flaws. Both are aggressive in stepping forward, which can leave space behind them if the midfield screen is broken. Against quick transitions—another likely concern against France—Brazil may need Murillo to stay home more often. But his presence has already reduced the number of shots Brazil concedes from counter-attacks: from 2.1 per game in the 2022 cycle to 1.3 in qualifying. Murillo's development from a raw talent at Corinthians to a Premier League mainstay has been rapid, and at 24, he is entering his peak years. If he can maintain his concentration over 90 minutes, he could be one of the tournament's standout defenders.

How the Tactical Shape Shifted

Brazil's 2022 shape was a 4-2-3-1 that often became a 4-4-2 in defence, with Neymar drifting wide and Casemiro covering large spaces. The new 4-3-3 under the current coaching staff is more fluid, with Moscardo dropping between the centre-backs to initiate play and the full-backs inverting to create a midfield box. Against weaker opponents, the shape becomes a 3-2-5 in possession, with Murillo stepping into midfield and the wingers hugging the touchline. This structure is designed to control the centre of the pitch, a weakness Brazil exploited ruthlessly in qualifying.

Endrick leads the press from the central striker role, but he does not chase every defender; instead, he cuts passing lanes to the opposition's holding midfielder, forcing play wide. Moscardo then reads the pass and steps forward to intercept. The result is a team that wins the ball back in midfield more frequently: 9.3 high turnovers per game in qualifying, compared to 6.8 in the 2022 cycle. Those turnovers often lead to quick attacks, with Vinicius and Raphinha driving at unbalanced defences.

The shift has not been seamless. Against teams that sit deep, Brazil still struggle to break down compact blocks. In a 0-0 draw with Ecuador in 2025, they managed only 0.8 xG from open play, with Moscardo's progressive passes often meeting a wall of defenders. The inverted full-backs also leave the flanks exposed when possession is lost, requiring the wingers to track back—a demand that Vinicius has not always met. But the tactical evolution is clear: Brazil have moved from a reactive, star-driven system to a proactive, structure-based one. Whether that structure holds under World Cup pressure is the central question.

Reinforcements from a Deeper Talent Pool

The rebuild is not limited to three players. Savio, the 22-year-old winger from Girona, has added width and dribbling depth, starting five qualifiers and averaging 2.1 successful dribbles per game. Matheus Cunha, now 27, provides a different option as a second striker or wide forward, with 0.4 xG per 90 in qualifying. João Gomes, the Wolves midfielder, offers box-to-box energy off the bench, covering ground that Moscardo cannot. And goalkeeper Bento, who replaced Alisson as the starter in 2025, has posted a 78% save rate in qualifying—slightly above Alisson's 75% in the 2022 cycle.

The depth is especially evident in the squad's age distribution. Under-23 players account for 11 of the 26 spots, a figure that would have been unthinkable in 2022, when only three players under 23 made the cut. That youth allows Brazil to rotate in friendlies without a sharp drop-off. In a June 2026 warm-up against Japan, the second-string lineup—featuring Savio, André, and Bremer—won 3-1, with a possession rate of 61%. The gap between starters and backups has narrowed, which is crucial in a tournament where teams play up to seven matches in four weeks.

The deeper pool also creates tactical flexibility. Against fast, direct teams like Canada, Brazil can deploy a more defensive midfield trio; against possession-based sides like Germany, they can use Moscardo and two creative midfielders. The 2022 squad lacked that versatility, relying on a first XI that could not adapt when the game plan failed. Now, the coaching staff have options. But depth is not the same as experience: only seven squad members have played in a World Cup before. The knockout rounds will test whether that inexperience becomes a liability or a source of fearlessness.

The Uphill Road to a Sixth Star

Brazil's group stage in 2026 pairs them with France, Australia, and Canada—a mix that offers both challenge and opportunity. France, the 2022 runners-up, remain a powerhouse with Kylian Mbappé and a deep midfield. Australia are organised and physical, while Canada have pace on the counter. Brazil should advance, but topping the group is not guaranteed. The likely knockout path then includes Argentina or Germany in the quarterfinals, and possibly Spain or England in the semifinals. The margin for error is small.

The Moscardo-Endrick-Murillo axis has only 23 combined caps at World Cup level, and none of the three has played a knockout match in the tournament. Vinicius Junior, now 25, will be expected to carry the creative burden, but he has yet to fully convince the Brazilian public that he can deliver in decisive moments. The pressure on him is immense, and the supporting cast is young. A semifinal finish would represent a clear step forward from 2022, but anything less than that will be seen as a missed opportunity.

The rebuild has produced a team that is statistically better than its 2022 predecessor: higher possession, more progressive passes, fewer goals conceded. But statistics do not win World Cups. The tournament will test whether the tactical changes hold under pressure, whether the young core can handle the weight of a nation, and whether the coaching staff can adapt when the plan fails. The path to a sixth star is challenging, but for the first time since 2002, Brazil have a structure that looks sustainable—not just a collection of stars hoping for magic.

For more on how other nations are reshaping their squads, see our analysis of Jude Bellingham's second-line runs and the four-plus-one scheduling rules affecting 48-team squad construction.

Additional Depth: The Supporting Cast

Beyond the three main pillars, several other players have stepped up during the qualifying campaign. Midfielder André, 22, has provided a defensive alternative to Moscardo, winning 62% of his tackles in his limited appearances. Winger Antony, 26, offers direct running and has contributed 4 assists in qualifying. Left-back Renan Lodi, 28, has improved his defensive positioning after a move to a top European club, reducing the number of chances conceded down his side. These players add layers to the squad, allowing Brazil to field different profiles against different opponents.

The coaching staff have also experimented with a 4-2-3-1 variant in friendly matches, using a double pivot of Moscardo and Gomes to protect the defence while allowing the full-backs to push higher. This approach could be useful against teams like France, where Brazil may need to absorb pressure before striking on the counter. The versatility of the squad means that the starting eleven is not set in stone; the selection will depend on the opponent's strengths and weaknesses.

One area of concern is the lack of a proven backup for Endrick. Richarlison, now 29, has struggled for form and fitness, scoring only 2 goals in his last 15 international appearances. The coaching staff have tried Gabriel Jesus in the central role, but his best performances come from the wing. This reliance on Endrick means his fitness is paramount. If he were to suffer an injury, Brazil would lack a natural finisher with his profile, potentially forcing a tactical reshuffle.

Set-Piece Efficiency

Brazil have also improved their set-piece efficiency under the new coaching staff. In the 2022 cycle, they scored only 2 goals from set pieces in the World Cup. In qualifying for 2026, they scored 5 set-piece goals, including 3 from corners. Murillo's height and aerial ability have been key, as he has scored 2 headers from set pieces. The coaching staff have implemented routines that use Murillo as a decoy runner, freeing up other players. This added dimension makes Brazil harder to defend against, as opponents can no longer focus solely on open-play threats.

Defensively, Brazil have conceded only 1 set-piece goal in qualifying, a marked improvement from the 3 conceded in the 2022 World Cup. The use of a zonal marking system, with Murillo as the primary aerial presence, has reduced the chaos that sometimes plagued Brazil's box defending. This discipline will be crucial in knockout matches, where set pieces often decide tight games.

Psychological Preparation

The mental aspect of the rebuild has not been overlooked. The coaching staff have brought in sports psychologists to work with the young players, helping them cope with the pressure of representing Brazil. The 2022 team was criticised for its emotional fragility, particularly after the penalty loss to Croatia. The new squad has been drilled in resilience, with simulation exercises replicating high-pressure scenarios. In a closed-door friendly against a local club side, the team practiced penalty shootouts after a 90-minute match, with the coaching staff creating a hostile atmosphere to mimic a World Cup knockout round.

Early signs are positive. In a qualifier against Argentina, Brazil came from behind to win 2-1, with Endrick scoring the winner in the 88th minute. The team showed composure in the final stages, keeping possession and frustrating the opponent. That kind of grit will be essential in the World Cup, where the margin between victory and defeat is razor-thin.

Looking Ahead

As the World Cup approaches, Brazil's preparation will intensify. The squad will play two more friendlies against European opposition, fine-tuning the tactical system. The coaching staff will also monitor the fitness of key players, particularly Moscardo, who has a history of minor muscle injuries. With a deep squad and a clear tactical identity, Brazil have reason for optimism. The rebuild has laid a foundation that could yield success not just in 2026, but for years to come. Whether that translates into a sixth star remains to be seen, but the journey has already been a success in terms of squad development and tactical evolution.