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It's less than two days before the FIFA World Cup kicks off in Russia. The greatest stage in world football awaits the superstars who shine so often with their respective clubs and they will be looking forward to setting the tournament on fire.
Brazil has been the most dominant team in the history of this huge global extravaganza. The Selecao have won five World Cups so far, more than any other team. Large credit for the success goes to the many wonderful footballers the country has produced down the years.
They will be looking forward to lifting the trophy for the sixth time, with the morale high in camp and football pundits around the world placing them among the favorites for this edition.
However irrespective of how good the team may be, there are some issues that still nag the team and may thwart their dreams of winning in Russia.
#1 Over reliance on Neymar
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior is undoubtedly the only true global footballing icon that Brazil has today. From playing in the streets of Sao Paulo to playing with high-profile clubs like Barcelona and Paris St. Germain, Neymar's career has been nothing short of a fairy tale.
The transfer amount of $263 million paid by PSG to Barcelona for his services, does speak a lot about his tremendous potential.
Neymar has already scored 55 goals for Brazil at an age of 26 and looks set to break Pele's long standing record of 77 goals in the next few years.
However the team is definitely over-reliant on Neymar and the responsibility of scoring decisive goals that seal the match for the Selecao falls on him.
The Brazilians were performing very well in the 2014 WC, but Neymar suffered an injury in the quarter-finals and Brazil were steam-rolled by Germany 7-1.
Neymar is central to Brazil's hope of winning this time as well, although the team has many star players.
Can Neymar ferry Brazil to the title?
#2 An opportunity to increase personal value in the market
The FIFA World Cup is the best platform to exhibit your talents, for any footballer. Previously unknown players rise to prominence with some wonderful performances, and after the World Cup, clubs fight like sharks to sign them because of the potential they possess.
One of the best examples of WC 2014 was James Rodriguez, who earned a transfer to Real Madrid after bagging the Golden Boot in that edition of the tournament.
The Brazil team has a lot of really good players who could become even bigger stars after the World Cup if they perform just the way they do it at their respective clubs.
Mega clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, PSG, Manchester United and Manchester City are always on the lookout for quality, and scouts will be closely watching the Selecao players.
Players like Neymar, Roberto Firmino, Willian and Gabriel Jesus would be looking to increase their market value and this may cause them to play for themselves rather than playing for the team. Neymar's performances could force Real Madrid to break the world transfer again in this summer's transfer window.
#3 Too many cooks spoil the broth
This is an old true saying. If there are too many good players in a team, there is a huge chance that the team will fail. So far the Brazilian team has been absolutely magnificent in its run up to the World Cup.
The Brazilian XI is one of the best in the world, and each position in their 4-3-3 formation is marshaled by a player who could win matches single handed.
Brazil topped the CONMEBOL South American qualifiers with 41 points in 18 matches, 10 points ahead of second-placed Uruguay and scored a record 41 goals in the tournament.
They've won their last four international friendlies with good margins and that is precisely why many pundits are backing them to lift the cup.
However, the team has too many good players, and though they look to have gelled together well, Brazilian legend Pele believes that teamwork in the team is missing. He also said Brazil is not a team and Neymar alone cannot win the World Cup.
Can Brazil defy the odds and lift the trophy in Russia?
