Raphinha's Recovery: Brazil's World Cup Gamble
Brazil’s World Cup camp in New Jersey finally had a sight it had been craving. Raphinha, boots laced and ball at his feet, back on the grass.
The Barcelona winger completed his first individual session on Tuesday, a crucial step in his recovery from the right thigh injury that wiped him out of the group stage. No teammates, no rondos, no full-contact drills yet – just a 29-year-old fighting the clock and his own body on a quiet training pitch.
While the rest of the squad enjoyed a scheduled break until Wednesday afternoon, Raphinha stayed behind at the training base, grinding through an intensive rehabilitation plan drawn up with the Selecao medical staff. Every sprint, every change of direction, every strike of the ball was another test of a muscle that has betrayed him too often this season.
Brazil welcome the images. They do not yet welcome the idea of rushing him back.
Inside the camp, the mood is cautious. Lucas Paqueta’s own thigh problem, picked up against Japan, has already stretched the medical team and sharpened the debate over risk and reward. With one key creative outlet already in treatment, the temptation to accelerate Raphinha’s return is obvious. The fear of another breakdown is stronger.
ESPN reports that despite the encouraging signs, Raphinha remains doubtful for the round-of-16 tie against Norway.
Data from each session lands on the medical desk daily, and Carlo Ancelotti is expected to wait as long as possible before deciding whether to include the former Leeds United forward in the matchday squad or hold him back for a potential quarter-final, should Brazil get there.
This is not an isolated scare. It is the fifth time this season he has suffered an issue in the same area. Barcelona and Brazil have both had to cope without him for stretches of the 2025-26 campaign as one muscular strain followed another. Every return has come with a question: is this the time the problem truly clears, or just the start of the next cycle?
The latest injury struck during Brazil’s 3-0 win over Haiti in Philadelphia. In a game that looked routine on the scoreboard, the drama came when Raphinha sank to the turf in the first half, clutching his thigh. His reaction told its own story – head down, shoulders slumped, a player who believed his World Cup might have vanished in an instant.
The scans brought a measure of relief. A strain, not a tear. The door stayed open, just, for a comeback later in the tournament, provided his body tolerates the increased workload through this crucial week.
Inside the dressing room and staff offices, there is a quiet confidence that Brazil have enough depth to handle Norway without forcing the issue. Rayan, the young forward promoted into the starting XI in Raphinha’s absence, has injected a different rhythm on the flank, offering Ancelotti an alternative profile rather than a like-for-like replacement.
That flexibility gives Brazil room to breathe. It also shapes the calculation. The priority is clear: Raphinha fully fit and explosive for the sharp end of the World Cup, not a half-ready version risking a long-term absence for the sake of one knockout tie.
The winger has made his move, back on the grass and pushing hard. Now Brazil must decide how much of a gamble their World Cup run is worth.
