Brazil's doing well, but they still need some fine-tuning. The rise of Luiz Henrique, a forward from Botafogo and former Real Betis player, along with Raphinha's leadership, are the highlights of a team eagerly awaiting Neymar's return.

The Seleção wrapped up their latest World Cup 2026 qualifiers with two wins over Chile (1-2) and Peru (4-0), the two weakest teams in the standings. These six points take some pressure off coach Dorival Júnior, who warned that the squad is still "a work in progress" and could hit a rough patch at any moment. Their next two games will be against Venezuela and Uruguay in November.

Luiz Henrique makes his mark

• The 23-year-old winger shook things up in both games after coming off the bench. He sealed the comeback in Santiago with his first goal for the national team in the 89th minute and scored again against Peru in Brasilia, where he also set up Andreas Pereira’s stunning scissor-kick goal.
• At Botafogo, he's become a key player. The Rio de Janeiro club is leading the Brasileirão and is fighting for a spot in the Copa Libertadores final against Peñarol.

Raphinha shines at FC Barcelona

• With Vinícius Júnior out due to a neck injury, Raphinha stepped up to lead the five-time world champs from his attacking midfielder role, the same position he plays at Barça under Hansi Flick.
• He played the full 90 minutes in Santiago, being one of the most aggressive players, and confidently took two penalties against Peru, giving the Seleção a comfortable 2-0 lead early in the second half.

Igor Jesus outshines Endrick

• Making his debut in the squad, Igor Jesus handled the pressure of being Brazil’s number 9 and delivered. The Botafogo striker, relatively unknown outside of Brazil, started both games. He scored against Chile when the team was struggling the most and came close to netting one against Peru.
• Trained at Coritiba, he had a stint at Shabab Al-Ahli in the UAE before returning to his home country to join the project led by American businessman John Textor, along with Luiz Henrique. Despite his lack of experience, Dorival chose him over Real Madrid’s Endrick, who only saw limited minutes during this FIFA window.

A more Brazilian Brazil

• Dorival is trying to bring in players from the domestic league. This squad featured seven 'local' players: Weverton (Palmeiras), Alex Telles (Botafogo), Fabrício Bruno (Flamengo), Gerson (Flamengo), Matheus Pereira (Cruzeiro), Luiz Henrique (Botafogo), and Igor Jesus (Botafogo).
• Behind this move, which even got praise from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, there's an effort to reconnect with fans who have distanced themselves from the national team, watching as their young stars leave the country as teenagers.