Brazil qualified as 2022 Copa América Femenina winners which gave them automatic qualification to the W Gold Cup. As a result, they were seeded in pot 1 of the group stage draw alongside fellow favourites USA and Canada.
What to expect
Drawn into Group B alongside Panama, Colombia and the CONCACAF Prelims 1 winner (either Haiti or Puerto Rico), Brazil face a favourable run at progressing into the knockout stages of the competition. The highlight will undoubtedly be the rematch of the 2022 Copa América Femenina final between the Brazilians and Colombians.
The Seleção has endured patchy form in recent months, dropping out of the 2023 World Cup in the group stages after picking up just four points. Since then, the Canarinhas have collected three wins from five friendlies against Japan, Canada and Nicaragua.
As a representation of their inconsistency, they also lost reverse fixtures versus Japan and Canada, showing a reliance on home advantage having lost every away game since the World Cup. Of course, the group stage setting of San Diego won’t help the Brazilians, who will be almost 10,000km from home.
Star players
Kansas City Current’s Brazilian superstar Debinha in surely the player to watch for Brazil as they venture into their first tournament in decades without legendary striker Marta up front. The iconic striker retired from competitive international football after the disappointingly early World Cup exit last year, but has featured in recent friendly fixtures for her country.
Marta has won the FIFA Player of the Year award an unprecedented six times – no other women’s player has won it more than three times – including five years in a row from 2006 to 2010 and is Brazil’s all-time record goalscorer, male or female, with 115 goals.
Widely regarded as Marta’s heir as the body of experience in the Brazil setup, 32-year-old Debinha has tallied an impressive 60 international goals so far in her career. Plying her trade in the NWSL for Kansas City Current, the player has featured in the NWSL Team of the Season in the two consecutive years building up to this tournament.
Manager
Young coach Arthur Elias has taken the reigns of the Brazilian Women’s national team after being unveiled as the new head coach in September 2023. `he made his reputation with Corinthians Women’s team which saw him collect a vast haul of trophies during his five-and-a-half-year tenure, including the Copa Libertadores Femenina on four separate occasions (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023).
Since taking over the national team setup, which saw Elias reunite with many of his club stars, the 42-year-old lead the team to three wins and two defeats across five friendly fixtures. Approaching his first comepetitive games as manager, Elias will be looking to mend Brazilian hearts after his predecessor’s shortcomings in the World Cup and re-establish the Canarinhas as one of the world’s best.
Schedule
Brazil v Prelims 1 winner – February 21 – Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego
Colombia v Brazil – February 24 – Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego
Brazil v Panama – February 27 – Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego
Squad