Raphinha Returns to Training as Brazil Weigh World Cup Decision

Brazil’s training base in New Jersey finally saw a familiar figure back on the grass on Tuesday. Raphinha, boots laced and ball at his feet, cut a determined figure as he went through his first individual session since a right thigh injury stalled his World Cup.

It was only a solo workout, no contact, no sprints at full tilt. But for Brazil, it marked a significant step. For Raphinha, it felt like a lifeline.

The 29-year-old has spent the group stage away from the spotlight, locked into a demanding program with the Selecao’s medical staff. While the rest of the squad enjoyed a scheduled rest until Wednesday afternoon, the Barcelona winger stayed behind, grinding through drills and gym work, intent on forcing his way back in time for the knockout rounds.

That obsession with timing is where the tension lies.

Inside the camp, there is relief at seeing him back on the pitch, yet also a clear message: no rush. Lucas Paqueta’s own thigh problem, picked up against Japan, has already complicated Brazil’s plans. Losing another key attacker by pushing too hard, too soon, is a risk Carlo Ancelotti and his staff are desperate to avoid.

The numbers tell their own story. This is the fifth issue in the same thigh area for Raphinha in the 2025-26 season. Barcelona have had to do without him at various points; Brazil too. Each strain, each tweak, has chipped away at the margin for error.

The latest blow came in the first half of Brazil’s 3-0 win over Haiti in Philadelphia. Raphinha’s reaction said everything. He walked off distraught, fearing the worst, fearing that this World Cup might pass him by. The scans brought a measure of relief: a muscle strain, not a tear. Painful, yes. Final, no.

That diagnosis has kept the door ajar. How wide it opens now depends on how his body responds to the increased workload this week.

Inside the camp, ESPN report a cautious optimism. The medical team are tracking his data daily, measuring every sprint, every change of direction, every sign of fatigue. Ancelotti will not rush his call. The decision on whether Raphinha makes the matchday squad against Norway is expected to go right to the wire.

The calculation is simple but ruthless. Risk him now, or hold him back for a potential quarter-final if Brazil get there?

Brazil’s depth buys them time. In Raphinha’s absence, young Rayan has stepped into the starting XI and brought a different edge to the flank. Less experience, more unpredictability. It has allowed Ancelotti to tweak his attacking structure without tearing it up.

That security strengthens the argument to keep Raphinha on ice until he is as close to 100 per cent as a tournament will allow. A half-fit winger might help in the round of 16. A fully fit one could tilt the latter stages.

For now, the image is clear: a lone figure in New Jersey, working against the clock, chasing not just fitness, but the chance to shape Brazil’s World Cup when the stakes are at their highest.