Cafu

Cafu is a living symbol of Brazilian football excellence whose legacy frames every discussion of Brazil's World Cup ambitions. He appears in the 2026 tournament's narrative in the context of Brazil's squad announcement era, with Ancelotti naming the country's new generation — Vinicius Júnior, Raphinha, the returning Neymar — while simultaneously cutting experienced players such as Thiago Silva and Rodrygo. Against that context, Cafu's career represents the standard against which Brazil's current right-back options are measured.

Born 7 June 1970 in São Paulo, Marcos Evangelista de Morais won the World Cup twice: in 1994 in the USA and in 2002 in South Korea/Japan, where he captained Brazil. He also appeared in the 1998 final. At club level he played for São Paulo, Roma and AC Milan, winning domestic and European honours. He is universally regarded as one of the greatest attacking right-backs in football history.

In 2026, Brazil's right-back options are measured against Cafu's legacy of relentless overlapping, defensive reliability and leadership. The position remains one of Brazil's more open selections, and Cafu's standard — almost impossibly high — is the benchmark invoked whenever the discussion turns to what Brazil needs from their wide defenders to win a sixth World Cup.