Jogo Bonito – the beautiful football Brazil was once known for – has been long gone. The team sacrificed their identity by focusing too much on results-driven football. However, even in terms of result-oriented play, Brazil has been struggling to deliver. One failure after another has pushed the team into a corner.
In the latest World Cup qualifier, Brazil was crushed 4-1 by their archrivals, Argentina. Following this defeat, coach Dunga lost his job. With just 14 months left until the World Cup, Brazil’s poor form has left their supporters feeling disheartened.
The question remains: Why can’t Brazil succeed? The team has no shortage of star players who shine in Europe. Vinícius, Alisson, Raphinha, and Rodrigo are among the best in their prime. So, why does Brazil keep failing?
Recently, Brazil’s World Cup-winning legend Romário spoke about the issue. According to him, the current generation of players is not as hungry for victory as the previous one. Additionally, while the young players are passionate about their club careers, they don’t have the same emotional attachment to the national team. This, Romário believes, is why they are struggling to succeed.
In an interview with Brazilian media outlet Globo, Romário, the hero of Brazil’s 1994 World Cup victory, said, ‘Our generation of players was hungry for victory. If they understand why that hunger is important, they will succeed. I see that these players are more focused on their clubs than on the national team. I don’t know if they’re slacking off, but the commitment is different. In our time, we played for both the club and the national team, and that’s a big difference.’
Romário, who scored 55 goals in 70 matches for the national team, also won Copa América in 1989 and 1997, as well as the Confederations Cup in 1997, in addition to the 1994 World Cup.
On the subject of the national team, the former player added, ‘The national team is different from everything else. I cherish the matches I played, especially the ones where we won titles. The national team defined my career. I was ready to give my life for it.”
