Brazil and Norway are facing off in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. Far from being an easy match, Carlo Ancelotti’s team have struggled to find spaces in the opposition’s defense, as Ståle Solbakken’s team have managed to enjoy more possession. After being awarded a penalty, they appeared to be closing in on the victory, but Bruno Guimarães‘ attempt was saved by Nyland, bringing to an end a 40-year streak at the World Cup.
According to MisterChip, a well-known soccer statistician, Norway‘s Nyland save against Bruno Guimarães brought to an end a 40-year streak of Brazil scoring every penalty they had taken at the World Cup. The last time Brazil missed a penalty in the tournament was in 1986, when Zico failed from the spot against France. In addition, Bruno became just the fourth player to miss a penalty for the Brazilian national team in the history of the competition.
Far from Bruno Guimarães’ miss being just a statistic, it reflects a harsh reality: Brazil no longer dominate and impose as they did in previous eras. Twenty-four years have passed since they last lifted the World Cup title. In addition, Norway are achieving the unexpected by controlling possession and creating several clear scoring chances. Therefore, Carlo Ancelotti’s team still have plenty of room for improvement.
Video: Brazil’s Bruno Guimaraes fails to convert a penalty vs. Norway
In the middle of a brilliant counterattack, Matheus Cunha broke into the penalty area in a promising position. However, Kristoffer Ajer stopped the move by bringing him down and conceding a penalty. Despite Vinícius Jr. being the team’s top scorer, it was Bruno Guimarães who stepped up to take it. Striking his effort toward Örjan Nyland’s lower-right corner, the goalkeeper saved the shot and brought to an end a 40-year streak.
Bruno Guimarães’ miss could prove very costly for Brazil. Carlo Ancelotti’s team have failed to impose their high press and possession game against Norway. Had they converted the penalty, they could have gained plenty of confidence and turned the match in their favor. Instead, they have repeated the same mistakes they made against Japan, appearing to have no attacking ideas against their opponents.
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How Brazil’s win, draw, or loss vs Norway could impact the 2026 World Cup bracket
Neymar Jr may be Brazil’s solution vs Norway
Despite their major creative problems in midfield, Brazil‘s Carlo Ancelotti decided to deploy Gabriel Martinelli as an attacking midfielder in the absence of Lucas Paquetá. Far from solving those issues, the team continue to show very few attacking ideas, looking extremely flat in every area of the pitch. Because of this, Brazil’s main solution could be Neymar Jr., who could reshape the team’s tactical approach against Norway.
If Neymar Jr. comes on as a substitute, he would play as an attacking midfielder. With this, he would support Bruno Guimarães in creating attacking moves. With his vision, he could take control of the midfield by distributing key passes and stretching the play. In addition, he would draw defenders toward him, freeing up his teammates, who would have more opportunities to run into space and find openings.
