Fans left heartbroken and questioning decisions after Brazil’s elimination by Croatia in a penalty shootout.
Brazilian football fans across the country were left stunned and silent after their national team was knocked out of the World Cup by Croatia on Friday. The disappointment began to set in following a dramatic turn of events in Qatar.
Initially, the atmosphere in cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro was celebratory when Neymar’s extra-time goal put Brazil ahead. However, the mood shifted dramatically when Croatia equalised and then triumphed in a penalty shootout, with a final score of 4-2.
Sergio Faria, a 34-year-old engineer, was watching the match in a downtown Sao Paulo bar. “At the start, I was calm, convinced Brazil and Argentina would meet in the semis,” Faria explained. “But this feels like the strangest Brazil elimination I can remember. Croatia only had one shot on goal, while Brazil wasted countless opportunities.” He expressed confusion over some of the coach’s decisions, such as replacing Vinicius Junior with Antony and not having Neymar take the first penalty.
The decision to have Neymar take the fifth penalty came too late, as Rodrygo and Marquinhos missed their shots, leading to Brazil’s defeat. Coach Tite, who had already announced he would step down after the tournament, stated that Neymar was meant to take the decisive penalty, but Brazil never made it that far.
For 56-year-old fan Neyla Berle, the loss was devastating. She cried outside a bar in the Vila Madalena district, where the crowd had expected to celebrate Brazil’s progression with samba music. “We need a foreign coach to fight for titles again. Tite was supposed to be our best, but he led us to another failure,” Berle lamented.
The official fan festival in Sao Paulo was equally subdued. Giovana Arcanjo, 22, was upset not just for herself but for her daughter, Ana Luiza, who had been eagerly anticipating Brazil’s victory. “It was emotional and sad. We thought the sixth title was coming, but it didn’t,” Arcanjo said, as her daughter cried beside her.
On Copacabana Beach, where thousands had gathered to watch the match, 45-year-old Lucas Santos shared the pain with his sons, Eduardo and Henrique. “I’ve seen Brazil win two World Cups, but to watch with my kids, hoping they’d experience the same, only to see it slip away… It hurts,” he said. Santos placed more blame on coach Tite for focusing too much on attackers and leaving Brazil lacking in midfielders when it mattered most.
