Brazil vs Haiti | FIFA World Cup 2026 — Group Stage | Preview and Prediction
Brazil will need to step up their game in their second group-stage encounter against minnows Haiti if they want to progress to the round of 32. The two sides will play this all-important fixture on June 20 at Philadelphia Stadium.
For the game, here we present our preview and prediction.
FIFA WC26 | Group C: BRA vs HAI | 06:30 IST, June 20, 2026
The most successful team in World Cup history have underperformed over the last few editions. Injuries have denied Brazil a stronger squad at their disposal this time, but they still possess a decent enough squad to go deep in the tournament. As for their opponents, Haiti qualified for the World Cup after a gap of 52 long years and are the second-lowest-ranked team in the competition.
Brazil’s opening game was against a very tough Morocco side and ended in a 1–1 draw, with Vinícius Júnior and Ismael Saibari being the goal-scorers for their respective teams. Morocco were the far better side throughout the game and took the attack to Brazil from the first whistle. Brazil only tried to up the ante in the closing stages, which could have cost them dearly if not for their goalkeeper Alisson Becker making a late double save.
Haiti played their opening game against Scotland, who won the game narrowly courtesy of a John McGinn goal. However, it was a nervy last 20 minutes for the Scots, as Haiti piled on the pressure. Their expected goals metric (xG) was also superior (1.21) to Scotland’s (1.04), showcasing how good an account they gave of themselves.
Brazil avoided embarrassment against a strong Moroccan side and barely earned a point thanks to individual brilliance from Vinícius; they cannot take Haiti for granted. Neymar Júnior has been ruled out for this game as well, with Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to select an injured and injury-prone player for the World Cup looking more driven by emotions rather than reality. Haiti have some exciting players, one of them being Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who is their creative force in midfield and can cause trouble for the Brazilian defence.
Haiti will not be as open in their approach against Brazil as they were in the opening game and will most likely sit deep in defence. Ancelotti will need to find a way to breach their backline to get the much-needed three points. Although Brazil were sub-par against Morocco, we believe they possess too much talent not to win this one; we predict a comfortable victory for the Seleção.
Score Prediction: Brazil 2–0 Haiti
Venue: Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
