Selecao coach Tite will have a huge amount of attacking talent to choose from when he sits down to pick his squad for Qatar 2022
With the World Cup now less than 10 months away, Brazil are already facing a welcome selection dilemma.
Tite's team, who have already clinched qualification to Qatar, possess a wealth of talent in attack, and that enviable depth is one of the reasons why they have managed to negotiate the CONMEBOL qualifiers with such ease, as several players have stepped up to cover the absences of established forward stars like Neymar, Richarlison and Roberto Firmino over the past months.
Once the main event comes around, however, Tite will only be able to take 23 players on the plane, and there are bound to be some disappointed players, particularly up front, where competition for places is fiercest.
GOAL takes a look at the main contenders for Brazil's World Cup plans, with some almost assured of their spot and others racing against time to make their case as the Selecao seek their sixth win in football's biggest, most prestigious tournament.
GettyNeymar
With 116 caps and 70 goals, Neymar remains Brazil's golden boy at the age of 29 and is central to their hopes of winning a first World Cup since 2002.
Injury may have interrupted his rhythm somewhat in the second half of 2021, but when in peak condition, the Paris Saint-Germain superstar is one of the most dangerous forwards on the planet, as he underlined at the 2021 Copa America, where he was the best player in the entire competition not named Lionel Messi.
If he can regain fitness and form, Neymar can make all the difference, and he will be one of the first names on Tite's squad list for Qatar 2022.
VERDICT: On the plane
Advertisement(C)Getty imagesVinicius Junior
Real Madrid's young star has been one of the revelations of the past year, finally combining his explosive presence on the ball with a reliable final product to make himself indispensable to Carlo Ancelotti's starting 11.
Vinicius has netted 12 Liga goals this season, making him Brazil's highest scorer in any of Europe's top five leagues. He is still waiting for that form to pass over to the international game, where he is yet to open his account, but a dangerous performance against Argentina in November did much to raise his stock.
January's internationals against Ecuador and Paraguay, with the likes of Neymar, Roberto Firmino and Richarlison all missing, give the 21-year-old a golden chance to make his case to Tite and prove why he deserves to get the nod at the World Cup.
VERDICT: In the lounge (but banging on the gate door)
Getty ImagesRicharlison
Like Neymar, Richarlison is another player who has struggled so far this season, hindered by injury and, of course, the crisis that has ravaged Everton under the recently sacked Rafa Benitez.
Nevertheless, the Toffees star is a real asset for Brazil, able to line up on both wings or down the middle, and equally adept at creating and scoring goals.
The last time Richarlison featured for the Selecao was in their victorious Olympic Games campaign back in August, but he should be back in Tite's plans for the main event, although he cannot afford to rest on his laurels given the multitude of contenders jostling just behind him.
VERDICT: On the plane (for now)
GettyGabriel Jesus
Gabriel Jesus has long been one of Tite's favourites, making his senior debut in the coach's first game in charge at the age of 19 back in 2016 and going on to pick up more than 50 caps in the intervening years.
Like the rest of the Selecao's stars, however, the Manchester City man cannot afford to take his foot off the accelerator.
As well as long-time centre-forward rival Firmino, Jesus must now also fend off Gabriel Barbosa and Atletico Madrid's Matheus Cunha, while his rotten international form – he last scored for Brazil in the 2019 Copa America final – means he needs a big year to make his place secure.
VERDICT: In danger of missing his flight