World Cup Story Feed / 世界杯事情流
World Cup Story Feed / 世界杯事情流
68,324 people watched Brazil crush Haiti 3 0. On the winning side, the starting winger broke down sobbing in the tunnel.
68,324 people watched Brazil crush Haiti 3-0. On the winning side, the starting winger sobbed uncontrollably in the tunnel after the game.
Raphinha’s wife, Natalia Belloli, said one line in front of Brazilian TV cameras: "He cried. I cried too."
In the 38th minute, Raphinha suddenly clutched the back of his right thigh without any physical contact, limping to the sideline. In the 40th minute, 19-year-old Bournemouth youngster Rayan replaced him on the right wing.
Earlier, in the 12th minute, Raphinha had just slotted a shot into the net when the linesman raised his flag—offside, goal disallowed.
In the first half, Brazil had six shots with five on target. Cunha scored twice in the 23rd and 36th minutes, and Vinícius Jr. added a third in the 45+3rd minute to seal the 3-0. Haiti had zero shots in the entire half, not even a chance to retaliate.
Then Raphinha went off.
In the second half, Brazil’s right flank was wide open. The team managed only two shots, none on target. Haiti, meanwhile, fired eight shots with three on target, turning Brazil’s unprotected right corridor into a counterattack highway.
The 3-0 scoreline hung at the end of the pitch, but it couldn’t hide an ugly truth: once the right side collapsed, the midfield lost control, and Brazil’s backline was battered by a Caribbean team for over forty minutes.
Ancelotti knows better than anyone how fragile that leg is.
After playing Morocco this week, Raphinha was already undergoing individual load management training, separate from the full squad. Neymar missed the first two group stage matches with a calf injury, and there was no other natural option on the right.
Ancelotti gambled that he could get through the first half.
He lost.
In about nine months, his right biceps femoris has had four setbacks.
First strain in late September 2025, sidelined for two months, missing nine Barcelona games. He barely recovered, then felt discomfort before a match in January 2026. On March 26, playing France, the same muscle strained again, costing him five weeks. He rushed back just before the World Cup, only for it to act up again in the 38th minute of the second group match.
Imaging results on June 21 showed a muscle injury in the back of the right thigh. Spanish media diagnosed it as a Grade 1 strain.
The Brazilian Football Confederation’s statement read "receiving intensive treatment under the supervision of the national team’s medical staff," without giving a timeline. Insiders told Mundo Deportivo it’s not serious, with an estimated two-week recovery, aiming for the Round of 16 on July 5, or at worst the quarterfinals on July 11. The player himself posted on social media, pledging his love for wearing the Brazil jersey as an "eternal dream" and vowing to "do everything possible to recover."
Barcelona’s face dropped immediately.
Spanish newspaper AS reported that Barcelona’s assessment leans toward Raphinha being done for the World Cup.
Same muscle, two different stories.
The club wants to protect its asset on the books; the national team needs firepower on the flanks to chase the title. Both sides are playing loud games, all with the same right leg as the stake.
FIFA’s substitution window closes 24 hours before the first match kicks off. After that, except for goalkeepers who can be replaced due to serious injury mid-tournament, no other positions can be changed.
Ancelotti can only shuffle his current deck: 19-year-old Rayan, Endrick, and Luis Henrique. Three youngsters to fill a gaping right flank.
Neymar made a substitute return against Scotland on June 24, securing a 3-0 win and first place in the group. But Raphinha’s right side—no one can run it for him.
July 5, Brazil plays the Round of 16.
A biceps femoris that has been strained four times in nine months—can fourteen days of intensive treatment glue it back together?