For the important 2026 World Cup match in which Brazil play against Norway, Lucas Paquetá won’t be part of the squad or on the bench after a recent injury left him unavailable.
The reason Paquetá is not playing against Norway is a muscle injury to the back of his left thigh, as confirmed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). The midfielder picked up the injury during Brazil’s 2-1 victory over Japan in the Round of 32 and was unable to continue after halftime.
His absence opens a spot in the lineup after Paquetá had started every match for Brazil before the injury, which proves how important the midfielder has been for Carlo Ancelotti.
Carlo Ancelotti on Paquetá
Losing Paquetá is an important setback for Brazil because of the balance he brings in midfield. Even so, Ancelotti expressed confidence in the options available to replace him depending on the tactical approach for the match.
Ancelotti described the midfield situation (Lars Baron/Getty Images)
The manager explained that several players are capable of filling the role, as he detailed: “We have players in our squad with the quality of Paqueta but each with different characteristics, like Danilo, who is different from Gabriel Martinelli, from Matheus Cunha, from Ederson.”
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Ancelotti said: “The choice will depend on how our team plays, taking into account the opponent’s strength. Defensively, we need someone on the left like Paqueta, and both Martinelli and Danilo can do that. With the ball, they need to effectively fill the left midfield role.”
The next match
This round has proved that no team can relax, no matter how good they look on paper before the match. However, the bracket has already been set, with the winner of this match advancing to face either England or Mexico in the quarterfinals.
