World Cup 2026: Brazil’s squad open qualifiers against Bolivia

This Friday (Sep. 8), Brazil open their participation in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia at the Mangueirão stadium, in Belém, Pará state, at 9:45 pm Brasília time.

The start of the campaign is also Fernando Diniz’s first match as the team’s interim coach since he was appointed back in July.

The 23 players called up began to report for training in Belém last Monday (4). The last to arrive was Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus, picked after the recall of Manchester United’s Antony, who is under investigation for assaulting his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin.

Diniz is expected to field Ederson, Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, and Renan Lodi; Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães, Neymar, and Rodrygo; Raphinha and Richarlison.

Hired to act as a bridge to the next coach, due to take over in 2024—speculation points at Italian Carlo Ancelotti, from Real Madrid—Diniz has one year left on his contract and is known for being fond of keeping possession of the ball from the back and his concern for the aesthetic side of the game, with a penchant for showy games.

Nine players on the current line-up have been coached by him at some point in their careers; others are still being introduced to his style, like midfielder Casemiro, who has captained the seleção in recent games.

“We know that every coach has his own philosophy, his own qualities, his own way of playing. Fernando Diniz is showing us videos and telling us how he likes to see the team play. We already have a base that came from the World Cup. This adaptation won’t be an issue,” Casemiro argued.

With the increase in the number of participants to 48 teams for the next World Cup, the South American qualifiers now provide six direct places and the possibility of more.

After Bolivia, Brazil will face Peru in Lima next Tuesday (12). As usual, ten countries are in the running: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. They will play each other twice in round-robin format, totaling 18 matches for each team. The final round is scheduled for September 9, 2025. The first six rounds will be played in 2023.