Brazil's World Cup Woes Continue After Loss to Norway

Brazil entered the North American World Cup with high hopes of ending a long stretch without a championship. Those hopes were dashed in the Round of 16 when they suffered a tough defeat against Norway. The game was tight for much of the match, but two late goals from Erling Haaland sealed Brazil’s fate. Despite a late penalty awarded to Brazil after a foul on Neymar, the scoreline was beyond reach.

Brazil missed an earlier penalty and saw several chances stopped by Norway’s goalkeeper, Orjan Nyland. The team now returns home once again without progressing far in the tournament, extending their World Cup drought by another four years.

Looking Back: When Did Brazil Last Win the World Cup?

Brazil has claimed the World Cup trophy five times, more than any other nation. Their last triumph came in 2002, making it nearly 25 years since they lifted the title. With the 2026 tournament behind them, this marks Brazil’s sixth consecutive World Cup without winning.

Since 2002, Brazil’s best performance was reaching the semifinals in 2014. Other tournaments have seen them eliminated in the quarterfinals, and this year’s loss to Norway is their earliest exit since 1990.

They won’t have another chance until 2030, which means the drought will last at least 28 years.

Brazil's World Cup Results Since 2002

The 2014 semifinal loss was especially painful, as Brazil fell 7-1 to Germany on home soil. Following that, the team faced quarterfinal defeats against Belgium and Croatia. This year, any hope of going past the quarterfinals vanished quickly after Haaland’s brace.

How Many Times Has Brazil Won the World Cup?

Brazil leads with five World Cup titles, ahead of Germany and Italy, who have each won four. Neither Germany nor Italy made a deep run in 2026; Germany exited on penalties against Paraguay, while Italy did not qualify at all.

Once the dominant power in international soccer, Brazil must wait until the next World Cup to attempt reclaiming their spot at the top.