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Narrow Win Over Egypt Exposes Two Weaknesses in Brazil Ahead of the 2026 World Cup
Aurora Nightingale | June 7, 2026 1:51 PM CST

Two weaknesses in the Brazil national football team were exposed during their friendly match against Egypt as they geared up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Selecao secured a narrow 2-1 victory over The Pharaohs at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on Sunday (7 June 2026) morning local time.

In that match, Brazil scored through Bruno Guimaraes in the 7th minute and Endrick in the 52nd minute, while Egypt replied with a goal from Mostafa Ziko in the 11th minute.

This win extended Carlo Ancelotti’s side’s excellent record, marking their third consecutive friendly victory.

Prior to defeating Egypt, the team known as the Selecao also recorded wins over Croatia (3-1) and Panama (6-2).

Despite winning all three friendlies, Vinicius Junior and his teammates did not perform flawlessly.

At least two weaknesses were evident in the Yellow-Green team, particularly in the match against Egypt, as noted by Bruno Guimaraes.

The Newcastle United midfielder stated that Brazil's weaknesses lay in their defensive organisation and their ability to convert chances into goals.

These two flaws were exposed against Egypt, preventing Brazil from achieving a larger margin of victory and keeping a clean sheet.

“We know this team can defend a little better, but let’s focus on the positives,” said Guimaraes, as quoted by UOL.

“We had our chances. We won both friendlies (against Panama and Egypt) and we could have scored more goals, and that’s it,” he added.

The former Olympique Lyon player expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance after winning their final friendly before the 2026 World Cup.

However, he emphasised that this satisfaction must be balanced with the need to correct the issues exposed in the match against Egypt.

“There’s nothing better than finishing this series of friendlies with a win, goals, and a great performance,” he continued.

“I really liked the first half, the entire team’s performance. I think if we had been a bit more careful, we could have achieved a bigger scoreline.”

“But I’m very happy. Now it’s time to focus on the match against Morocco, where our dream begins,” he concluded.

Against Egypt, Brazil created five clear-cut chances and registered a total of 12 shots throughout the game.

However, out of those five major opportunities, only two resulted in goals, with the opposing goalkeeper making two outstanding saves.

Defensively, Brazil looked disorganised early in the match, as seen in Mostafa Ziko’s 11th-minute goal.

The goal came from a mistake by Marquinhos, who misplayed a backpass, coupled with Casemiro’s failure to mark his opponent effectively.

These weaknesses need to be addressed quickly, as the Selecao will begin their World Cup campaign in about a week’s time.

Brazil are set to open their Group C campaign against Morocco on Sunday (14 June 2026) at 05:00 local time.


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