Brazil faces Norway in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday, July 5, with a place in the quarterfinals on the line. One of the biggest talking points ahead of the match is the absence of Raphinha from Carlo Ancelotti's starting lineup.
The good news for Brazil fans is that the Barcelona winger has recovered from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the team's last two matches. However, he is not fully fit, so Ancelotti has decided to start him on the bench and manage his minutes.
If Brazil advances, it will face either England or Mexico in the quarterfinals, making it even more important to avoid rushing one of the team's key players back too soon.
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Why Isn't Raphinha Playing Against Norway?
Raphinha has been out since suffering a hamstring injury during Brazil's group-stage win over Haiti on June 19. The injury forced him to miss the final group-stage match against Scotland and the Round of 32 victory over Japan.
There were concerns the 29-year-old could miss the rest of the World Cup, but he recovered faster than expected and returned to full training ahead of the Norway match.
Speaking before the game, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Ancelotti confirmed that Raphinha is available but not ready to start.
"Raphinha is making good progress. He's not quite at 100% yet, but he's available to be on the bench in case he needs to play a few minutes or come on at key moments."
The Brazil coach also praised the winger's recovery.
"He has recovered very well and very quickly. We are very happy about this because Raphinha is a very, very important player for the team."
Although he is not in the starting lineup, Raphinha is available as a substitute and could make his return during the match if Brazil needs him.
