Brazil’s attacking unit enters the Croatia friendly under scrutiny, yet Joao Pedro insists improvement is close. The Selecao have struggled for goals and results, but the Chelsea forward expects progress before the World Cup in June. Brazil aim to sharpen combinations quickly as pressure grows to end a 24-year global title wait.
Recent form has raised doubts. Brazil have won only one of their last four matches, drawing one and losing two. The latest setback was a 2-1 defeat against France at Gillette Stadium in Boston. Across those four games they scored six times, with just three goals coming from recognised attacking players.
Carlo Ancelotti’s squad choices remain a major talking point, particularly the absence of record scorer Neymar. In Neymar’s
place, younger forwards have carried responsibility. Chelsea’s Estevao struck once against Senegal and added a penalty versus Tunisia, while Arsenal attacker Gabriel Martinelli scored during a defeat to Japan. Those goals, however, have not eased concerns around attacking fluency.
Joao Pedro is expected to start against Croatia after Raphinha went off injured against France. The match is Brazil’s second international friendly of the March break and a key test of their attacking structure. The coaching staff hope extra minutes together will help frontline players understand movements and roles more clearly.
Brazil already know their path at the World Cup, where they compete in Group C. The Selecao will face Morocco, Scotland and Haiti in the opening phase, targeting a first title since 2002. That long gap without lifting the trophy hangs over the current group, especially the forwards who carry scoring expectations.
Joao Pedro feels the main issue is not a lack of quality, but limited shared time. The forward highlighted how Brazil’s stars are spread across Europe’s leagues and must adapt quickly when reunited. For Joao Pedro, extra training sessions with Brazil are vital to replicate the understanding built at club level.
"We're getting to know each other better, Joao Pedro told ESPN Brasil. I play in England, Vinicius Junior plays in Spain, and Raphinha is at another club. We need to be training together just as we do at our clubs, where we spend the whole year. With the national team, you do things differently to how you do them at your club, so you need to adapt quickly. With more training time, things start to run more smoothly. Things will start to click soon enough. "
FIM DE JOGO EM BOSTON! 1-2 Bremer A Seleo Brasileira entra em campo na prxima tera (31), contra a Crocia, s 21h (Braslia). pic.twitter.com/0j0CrhIcDlbrasil (@CBF_Futebol) March 26, 2026
Joao Pedro also pointed to Brazil’s attacking history and how it shapes current expectations. Names like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Romario defined earlier eras. Today’s group features Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Estevao, Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos at major European clubs, yet Joao Pedro feels the historic standard still weighs heavily.
"Back in the day we had Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Romario, but if you look at football today, Brazil has players like that, added Joao Pedro. There's Vini at Real Madrid, Raphinha at Barcelona, Estevao and me at Chelsea, and Andrey [Santos], too. They all play for top clubs. What is a bother is that it's been a long time since Brazil won a World Cup. We're the greatest national team in the world, and when you go without winning for a long time, that pressure builds up. "
Brazil’s build-up to June therefore centres on two linked themes: rhythm and expectation. The team must convert individual club form into a coherent international attack, while managing the weight of past success. How Joao Pedro, Vinicius Junior, Raphinha and their team-mates respond will shape Brazil’s chances in Group C and beyond.
