Brazil’s World Cup Qualification Journey: A Remarkable Record

Brazil is hailed as a football powerhouse, having secured five FIFA World Cups—more than Germany, Italy, and reigning champions Argentina. The Selecao boasts a rich history from legendary players like Pele to contemporary stars such as Ronaldo and Neymar, consistently showcasing their skill on both South American and global stages.

Currently, however, Brazil finds itself in an unusual position, sitting fifth in the CONMEBOL qualifying standings for the 2026 World Cup. Fortunately, the expansion of the tournament allows for six automatic qualifiers from CONMEBOL and an additional opportunity in an intercontinental playoff.

With whispers about the possibility of Brazil not qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, The Sporting News reflects on their historical qualification performance and why failing to qualify this time would be extraordinary.

Has Brazil Ever Missed a FIFA World Cup?

Brazil has never failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. They have participated in all 22 tournaments from 1930 to 2022.

Indeed, Brazil is the only country to have played in every World Cup. While Germany has participated in 20, Argentina, Italy, and Mexico have taken part in 18 tournaments.

Brazil automatically qualified for the 1950 and 2014 tournaments as the host nation and participated in the first three tournaments without qualifications. Additionally, they qualified for the 1962, 1966, and 1998 tournaments as defending champions, as was customary at the time.

In total, Brazil has successfully qualified for 14 World Cups through competitive play across CONMEBOL qualifying. Remarkably, they have finished atop the standings in all but one qualifying cycle.

Brazil’s CONMEBOL World Cup Qualification History

Prior to 1998, CONMEBOL’s qualification format divided its ten members into two groups allowing for a maximum of only eight matches. During this era, Brazil suffered only one loss, a surprising defeat to Bolivia in 1993.

In the current format, all teams face each other twice, totaling 18 matches. This modern approach has exposed Brazil to more potential setbacks, particularly due to the rise of international talent. Despite these challenges, Brazil had not lost more than two qualifying matches in any cycle leading up to the current 2026 round, with the exception of the 2002 cycle where they finished third.