Cafu’s sharpest point was cultural, not technical. "Talvez seja isso que mais falte à nossa seleção: a brasilidade," he said. That does not mean talent has dried up. Brazil still produces elite players at a remarkable rate. But when stars leave home earlier, they can arrive on the international stage shaped more by club systems abroad than by the shared rhythm of Brazilian domestic football.
That matters in a country where the shirt has always carried more than form. It carries memory, style and expectation.
Cafu also warned against the lazy habit of measuring every new squad against the great title-winning sides. "Não é possível comparar com a época em que jogávamos. Aquela era passou. É uma nova geração, são novos jogadores," he said.
That feels fair. Football has changed, player pathways have changed, and the pressure around Brazil has only grown. Cafu’s point was not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake; it was a reminder that today’s team needs to build its own identity rather than live in the shadow of 1994 or 2002.
He added: "Temos de torcer muito para que essa nova era alcance o que alcançamos: chegar a uma final de Copa do Mundo."
The report also says Brazil are due to face India in a friendly in October, in Calcutta. On paper, it is not the sort of fixture that defines an era. In practice, it could still offer something useful: a chance to reconnect, perform with freedom and shape the tone of what comes next.
That is now the real storyline. Not whether this team can imitate the old Brazil, but whether it can become a convincing new one before the next major tournament comes into view.