When Brazil lifted the FIFA World Cup for a fifth time in 2002, nobody would have expected them to go more than two decades without winning it again.
Since that victory, the knockout rounds have turned into a recurring nightmare for the Selecao.
Despite possessing great talent like Kaka, Neymar Jr and Vinicius Junior, Brazil have repeatedly stumbled under the immense pressure of the global stage —almost falling to European sides that have been tactically astute.
Brazil have qualified for the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup yet again — They did so by topping Group C with seven points from three matches, and will next take on Japan in their round of 32 match in Houston on Monday.
Japan, in fact, has beaten Brazil only once in their 14 head-to-head meetings, and that was in 2025, when the Asians bounced back from 0-2 down to beat Brazil 3-2.
Since 2002, Brazil have gone beyond the quarter-finals just once, and that was in their home World Cup in 2014, where they settled for fourth place. Let’s now take a look at how Brazil have performed in each FIFA World Cup edition after their 2002 title-winning campaign
2006 FIFA World Cup (Quarter-finals)
Brazil, the then reigning champions, entered the 2006 FIFA World Cup as one of the top favourites to clinch the title.
The Selecao boasted the “Magic Quartet” of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Adriano, and they easily won their group with a perfect 100% record, beating Croatia, Australia and Japan.
They breezed past Ghana with a 3-0 scoreline in the round of 16, thus extending a record 11-game World Cup winning streak.
However, in the quarter-finals against France, Brazil ran straight to Zinedine Zidane, who put on a midfield masterclass in the 57th minute to assist Thierry Henry’s goal, which was the lone goal of the game. Brazil were strategically clueless towards the end of the game.
2010 FIFA World Cup (Quarter-finals)
Brazil were coached by the defensive-minded Dunga at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Selecao began their FIFA World Cup 2010 campaign with a 2-1 win over North Korea, before thumping Ivory Coast 3-1 in their second group stage match.
In their match against Portugal, Brazil were tactically brilliant, playing out a 0-0 draw and going top of the group with seven points. In the round of 16, Brazil thumped Chile 3-0.
They faced eventual runners-up Netherlands in the quarter-finals and took an early lead when Robinho scored in the 10th minute.
They dominated the first half, but their collapse came in the second half when Wesley Sneijder scored two goals for the Dutch inside 15 minutes. This marked the end of another forgettable World Cup campaign for Brazil.
2014 FIFA World Cup (Fourth place finish)
As hosts of this FIFA World Cup, Brazil were the favourites once again. They won their group with 7 points, beating Croatia 3-1, drawing 0-0 with Mexico, and thumping Cameroon 4-1.
They survived a penalty shootout against Chile in the round of 16 and beat Colombia 2-1 in a brutal quarter-final. However, they lost Neymar to an injury and Thiago Silva to a suspension, and this shattered them big time.
So much so that their 7-1 loss to Germany in the semi-finals still haunts them to this date. Brazil eventually went down 3-0 to the Netherlands in the third-place playoff match.
2018 FIFA World Cup (Quarter-finals)
Brazil once again won their group at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, finishing with 7 points. They looked balanced and stable as they went on to draw 1-1 against Switzerland, before clinching 2-0 wins over Costa Rica and Serbia.
Brazil defeated Mexico 2-0 in the last 16 too, but collapsed in the quarter-finals again, this time to Roberto Martinez’s Belgium.
A Fernandinho own-goal and a De Bruyne rocket put Belgium up 2–0. Renato Augusto scored one back for Brazil in the 76th minute, but they weren’t able to maintain the same kind of tempo for the rest of the match.
2022 FIFA World Cup (Quarter-finals)
Brazil were on top of its game at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They began the group stage with a 2-0 win over Serbia, which included a Richarlison bicycle kick. They followed it up with a 1-0 win over Switzerland to seal qualification to the last 16.
They rotated their side for the third match against Cameroon, which they lost, but they still topped the group. The Selecao eased past South Korea 4-1 in the round of 16, but faced a still-challenging Croatia in the quarter-finals.
In the quarter-finals against Croatia, the scores were 0-0 at full-time. Neymar gave Brazil a 1-0 lead in the 106th minute, which was the first half of extra time. While it seemed like Brazil would clinch the win, Croatia had other plans, as Bruno Petkovic equalised in the 117th minute. The match then went to penalties, and Croatia won it 4-2 to reach the semi-finals for a second successive time.