How can Brazil qualify for the World Cup knockout stages?
By Max Parsons
You'll invariably find Brazil etched into the list of favourites in every competition they take part in.
The only country to feature in every single edition of the World Cup, Tite's side comes into the 2022 tournament right up there with the best teams in the world. With a fantastic record of form leading up to the competition and a sensational squad, their participation in the latter rounds in Qatar seems an inevitability.
So, how can Brazil actually qualify for the World Cup knockout stages? Well, let's see.
Brazil at the World Cup so far
Brazil would have come into the 2022 World Cup expecting a 100% record from a group in which their competition comes in the form of Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon.
Their efforts in achieving that got off to the perfect start with a good matchday-one victory against Dragajn Stojkovic's Serbia. What was an incredibly stern test against a regimented, physical and talented Serbian side ended in a hard-fought 2-0 win courtesy of Richarlison's 18th and 19th international goals.
His icebreaker around the hour mark was born from a poacher's awareness in the penalty area while his second was a stunning acrobatic effort, finishing Vinicius Jr's cross with a sublime touch and overhead kick to wrap up a strong performance against tricky opposition and get a satisfying victory under their belt.
Brazil remaining World Cup group fixtures
With one game down, Tite's side has two fixtures remaining in their Group G campaign.
Brazil still have to play Switzerland before wrapping up the group against Cameroon. Those two sides kicked off their respective campaigns against each other, with Cameroon-born Breel Embolo getting the only goal to give the Swiss a 1-0 win.
How can Brazil qualify for the World Cup knockout stages?
A matchday-two victory would be enough to send Brazil to the final 16 of the competition, while their subsequent goal difference advantage would likely make those six points sufficient to send them through as group winners - don't think that would deter them from striving to beat Cameroon afterwards, though.
A draw against the Swiss would still see them at the Group G summit heading into matchday three. Their final fixture against Cameroon, however, would represent a must-win to ensure their credentials as group winners in the round of 16, or even a must-win to qualify should either Serbia or Cameroon come away with the three points in their game.
Of course, defeat to Switzerland is a possibility - that would put the Swiss in pole position to top Group G and leave second-placed qualification open to any of the sides in the group. However, with Brazil having just overcome the Serbians, who sees that happening?