Brazil's Striker Drought: A Year of Blanks from the No.9s!

Picture this: Brazil, the samba kings of football, birthplace of Pelé, Ronaldo, and Romário. Yet their centre-forwards haven't troubled the scorers for a full 12 months. It's like showing up to a carnival without the party hats – utterly baffling.

The last time a proper No.9 found the net for the Seleção was Matheus Cunha's late consolation in that 4-1 thumping by Argentina back on 25 March 2024. That disaster even cost Dorival Júnior his job. Since then? Nine matches, zero goals from the strikers. Ouch.

A Revolving Door of No.9s

As reported by OneFootball, Brazil's post-2022 World Cup era has seen a whopping 12 different centre-forwards thrown into the fray under bosses like Ramon Menezes, Fernando Diniz, Dorival, and now Carlo Ancelotti. And the tally? Just five goals total. That's worse than a dodgy penalty shootout.

Endrick, the teenage sensation, leads with three goals from 14 caps – he'll likely be a super-sub option today against Modrić and Croatia. Matheus Cunha has one from 12 games, Igor Jesus nabbed the other. The rest? Zilch.

Take Richarlison, hero of Qatar with three strikes. He's matched Cunha's 12 appearances but sits on a goose egg. João Pedro, who's tipped to start up top versus Croatia (shunting Cunha to the No.10 role), has seven caps and zero goals. Even Gabriel Jesus (five games) and newcomers like Igor Thiago (debut vs France) are waiting for their moment.

Here's the full sorry list since 2023:

• Endrick: 14 matches, 3 goals

• Matheus Cunha: 12 matches, 1 goal

• Richarlison: 12 matches, 0 goals

• João Pedro: 7 matches, 0 goals

• Gabriel Jesus: 5 matches, 0 goals

• Igor Jesus: 5 matches, 1 goal

• Evanilson: 2 matches, 0 goals

• Pedro: 2 matches, 0 goals

• Vitor Roque: 2 matches, 0 goals

• Igor Thiago: 1 match, 0 goals

• Kaio Jorge: 1 match, 0 goals

• Yuri Alberto: 1 match, 0 goals

It's like Brazil's got a striker curse. Are they saving all the goals for the 2026 World Cup?

Road to the World Cup: Can Someone Break the Spell?

Tonight's clash with Croatia is make-or-break timing. It's the final test before Ancelotti names his 26-man squad on 18 May. João Pedro could be the man to end the drought, but don't bet the house on it.

Post-squad reveal, friendlies await: Panama at the Maracanã on 31 May, then Egypt in the US on 6 June. The real fun kicks off with the World Cup opener against Morocco on 13 June (7pm kick-off), followed by Haiti (19 June) and Scotland (24 June).

Will Endrick explode? Can Cunha repeat his magic? Or will Richarlison finally shake off the hoodoo? With Ancelotti at the helm, Brazil fans are hoping for goals galore. But if the No.9s keep misfiring, it might be another tournament of sideways passes and prayers.

Grab your popcorn – or better yet, a caipirinha – and watch this space. The drought ends soon... we hope.