FIFA World Cup 2022: Brazil getting ready to dance

Doha, November 23

Brazilian players are hoping to do a lot of dancing at the World Cup. The five-time world champions are feeling jubilant ahead of their debut against Serbia tomorrow, so much that the dance celebrations are all prepared and rehearsed. Not one, not two, not three — but all 10 of them.

“To tell you the truth, we already have dances prepared for up to the 10th goal,” Brazil forward Raphinha said. “We have some 10 dances prepared for each match, one for the first, one for the second, one for the third ... If we score more than 10, then we’ll have to start innovating.”

Brazil brought an offensive-minded squad to Qatar, with Raphinha among the nine forwards picked by coach Tite to try to give Brazil its first World Cup title in two decades.

Another is Vinicius Junior, who earlier this season was thrown into a controversy over his dances after his goals with Real Madrid. He and teammate Rodrygo kept dancing despite the criticism in Spain, though, and had promised more of the same when they got to the national team at the World Cup.

Raphinha and Neymar were among those who publicly showed their support to Vinicius Junior at the time. — AP

2-0 Brazil and Serbia also met each other in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup, with the South American team winning 2-0 after Paulinho and Thiago Silva scored.

5 Portugal have met African opposition five times before at the World Cup, recording three wins, a draw and a 1-3 loss to Morocco in 1986.