The World Cup is still waiting for the real Brazil to show up: BBC's read after Haiti win

Brazil's national football team has now won its second group-stage match at the World Cup, but the BBC's post-match analysis falls short of satisfied. Matheus Cunha's two first-half goals and a 71st-minute finish from Vinicius Jr produced a 3-0 win over Haiti. The score is clean. The thrust of the piece is that the "real Brazil" has yet to appear.

The head coach, Carlo Ancelotti — known in Brazil as "Carletto" — was brought to the national team before the World Cup after his success at Real Madrid. The Italian tactical builder pledged to combine Brazil's attacking force with a disciplined defensive structure. The opening group win against the United Kingdom, 2-1, looked like a balanced start. Against Haiti, however, BBC analyst Pablo Mascarenhas writes that the side delivered "a performance based on talent alone".

Matheus Cunha's two goals were technically excellent. The first, in the 23rd minute, came after a cross from Vinicius Jr from the left and a six-yard header. The second, in the 38th, followed a through ball from Bruno Guimaraes and a sharp run inside the box. Both required quality. Cunha, on form at Wolverhampton in recent months, has become Brazil's strongest forward since the Tite era.

The BBC analysis points instead to a disorganised midfield. The Bruno Guimaraes-Casemiro-Lucas Paqueta trio was late in defensive transitions and lost shape in possession. Haiti's technical level is modest, but the side managed 12 offensive passes in the second half — evidence that Brazil's midfield defensive responsibility is not solid.

Vinicius Jr's 71st-minute strike closed the scoring, but the BBC's deeper question concerns defensive depth. Marquinhos and Eder Militao are reliable at the centre, but right-back Vanderson is still inconsistent and left-back Carlos Augusto is far from the level Real Madrid sees in Federico Valverde. Mascarenhas argues that if Brazil come out of the group as second or third, stopping a side like Germany or the Netherlands in the quarter-final with this defensive shape will be very hard.

Ancelotti's post-match message was calm. "We won. Cunha was excellent. We scored three, conceded none. There is room to improve but I trust my players," he said. Ancelotti is taking a deliberately different approach to the press from the high-pressure tone Brazilian media often demands.

For Brazilian fans the question is more emotional. The country has not won a World Cup since 2002 — the longest drought in the team's history. The 7-1 loss to Germany as host in 2014 became a national trauma. The 2018 and 2022 tournaments ended at the quarter-final stage. For supporters this World Cup carries a technical and a psychological weight in equal measure.

One group-stage game remains — against Portugal. That match will set whether Brazil tops the group and receives a better knockout draw. Portugal's post-Cristiano Ronaldo generation (Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota) is strong; Vitinha's midfield control in particular could give Brazil a difficult evening.

At the end of the BBC piece, Mascarenhas underlines three points. First, Brazil's attacking talent is at the top level — the Cunha, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo combination is among the most gifted front three in world football. Second, midfield and defensive quality is well below previous Brazil sides; that could be a serious obstacle in the knockout rounds. Third, Ancelotti's management is tactically sharp but does not fully reflect Brazil's identity; "Cariocan" football is meant to be agile, creative and brave on the ball.

This World Cup is a test for Brazil. The scoreline is fine; for the supporters, success will only mean lifting the trophy. The question is how far Carletto can fit Italian tactical discipline onto a Brazilian identity. The answer will come in the knockout rounds against stronger opponents. The BBC's reading recommends patience until then — but the undertone of the piece is that the true Brazil has not yet shown up at this tournament.