London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Richarlison scores stunner as Brazil make winning start to World Cup

Richarlison scores stunner as Brazil make winning start to World Cup

World Cup favourites Brazil made a winning start to their bid for glory in Qatar as they eased to a 2-0 win over Serbia.
Looking to end their 20-year drought on the biggest stage, it was a far from convincing opening period from the Selecao, going into the break with it still goalless after a half devoid of much action.

But having seen Argentina and Germany already slip-up, Brazil ensured they were not added to the upset list as Richarlison netted a second-half brace, the second a sensational volley to effectively put the match to bed.

Tite put an attacking team out for his side’s opening Group G clash, Casemiro almost a one-man midfield at times as the five players ahead of him put their focus on getting forward.

Despite the stars on show, it was a cagey 45 minutes, Serbia’s shape and doggedness more than a match for the quality in yellow. Vinicius Jr had a couple of bright moments out wide on the left, but could not produce the final ball.

The best chance of the first-half fell for Raphinha, after he combined brilliantly with Lucas Paqueta. That left the Barcelona winger clean through on goal, though the finish that followed was little more than a back-pass to Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.

Brazil should really have taken the lead seconds after the restart, as Serbia were caught playing out from the back, but once again Raphinha could not provide the finish with only the goalkeeper to beat.

The pressure began to increase, as Neymar fired wide from inside the box and Sandro’s effort from distance thumped back off the inside of the post and away to safety.

Serbia could not hold on though, the goal coming just after the hour mark. Vinicius’ low strike was palmed out into the six-yard box, where Richarlison was waiting to turn it into the empty net to continue his strong goalscoring run at international level.

There was nothing simple about his finish for the second goal, a stunning strike to put Brazil in complete control. The Tottenham man took one touch to control the cross from Vinicius with his back to goal, and a second to send a brilliant scissor-kick into the bottom corner.

The mood was slightly soured almost immediately as Neymar went off after going down, limping off the pitch to spark concerns over his fitness.

Brazil threatened to really run away with it in the closing stages, Casemiro curling a wonderful strike against the bar before Rodrygo twice went close as the space opened up. Serbia were relieved when the final whistle came, their goal difference not too severely damaged.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
×