Something crossed my mind yesterday as I came across a video of a rocket penalty that Hulk scored — it looked more like a missile than a spot kick. That got me thinking about how Hulk is actually similar to Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of physique, longevity, and even stats to some extent.
Then I thought: as a typical Brazilian fan, here is a CF who could have given the national team so much — and instead, we literally got virtually nothing out of him. Just one Confederations Cup title in 2013.
Then it hit me.
Out of the four CFs Brazil tried from 2014–2022 — Hulk, Fred, Firmino, and Gabriel Jesus — with the exception of Richarlison in 2022, the World Cup stats are borderline unbelievable. And not in a good way. For any CF, let alone a Brazilian one.
Here it goes:
Think about that for a second.
Now compare that to Pelé or Ronaldo scoring multiple goals in a single World Cup final. Okay, maybe that last comparison isn’t totally fair — comparing to GOATs— but you get the point. One player scoring as many goals in one final as four Brazilian CFs combined managed in 25 matches. That’s how bad it’s been.
As much as some of us don’t even want him near the NT anymore, if we’re being honest, Richarlison brought some sanity back to the position in 2022 — 3 goals in 4 games. That’s already more than the previous three tournaments combined from the others.
But here’s the issue with Brazilian football, specifically at CF in recent years: Richarlison himself is already in decline, and you wouldn’t exactly build your future around him just to prove a point.
Now let me play devil’s advocate.
Do you know what this Brazilian CF drought coincided with?
Neymar.
From 2014 through 2022, Neymar has scored 8 goals in 13 World Cup matches across three tournaments. We all know the central role he played — even when injured, everything revolved around him.
So here’s the uncomfortable question:
Is it possible that Neymar’s dominance — similar to the Mbappé dynamic at Real Madrid — actually limited these CFs? Or should it have been the opposite? Shouldn’t Neymar’s presence and playmaking have created even more space and chances for them?
Because when you look at the numbers, something doesn’t add up.
And honestly, it’s no wonder there’s so much skepticism about the CF names being proposed now. That said, we do have more overall attacking options than we’ve had since maybe 2010.
But until Brazil solves the No. 9 problem properly, this conversation isn’t going away.
Then I thought: as a typical Brazilian fan, here is a CF who could have given the national team so much — and instead, we literally got virtually nothing out of him. Just one Confederations Cup title in 2013.
Then it hit me.
Out of the four CFs Brazil tried from 2014–2022 — Hulk, Fred, Firmino, and Gabriel Jesus — with the exception of Richarlison in 2022, the World Cup stats are borderline unbelievable. And not in a good way. For any CF, let alone a Brazilian one.
Here it goes:
- Hulk (2014) – 7 games, 0 goals
- Fred (2014) – 6 games, 1 goal
- Firmino (2018) – 4 games, 1 goal
- Gabriel Jesus (2018 & 2022) – 8 games, 0 goals
Think about that for a second.
Now compare that to Pelé or Ronaldo scoring multiple goals in a single World Cup final. Okay, maybe that last comparison isn’t totally fair — comparing to GOATs— but you get the point. One player scoring as many goals in one final as four Brazilian CFs combined managed in 25 matches. That’s how bad it’s been.
As much as some of us don’t even want him near the NT anymore, if we’re being honest, Richarlison brought some sanity back to the position in 2022 — 3 goals in 4 games. That’s already more than the previous three tournaments combined from the others.
But here’s the issue with Brazilian football, specifically at CF in recent years: Richarlison himself is already in decline, and you wouldn’t exactly build your future around him just to prove a point.
Now let me play devil’s advocate.
Do you know what this Brazilian CF drought coincided with?
Neymar.
From 2014 through 2022, Neymar has scored 8 goals in 13 World Cup matches across three tournaments. We all know the central role he played — even when injured, everything revolved around him.
So here’s the uncomfortable question:
Is it possible that Neymar’s dominance — similar to the Mbappé dynamic at Real Madrid — actually limited these CFs? Or should it have been the opposite? Shouldn’t Neymar’s presence and playmaking have created even more space and chances for them?
Because when you look at the numbers, something doesn’t add up.
And honestly, it’s no wonder there’s so much skepticism about the CF names being proposed now. That said, we do have more overall attacking options than we’ve had since maybe 2010.
But until Brazil solves the No. 9 problem properly, this conversation isn’t going away.