Eternal images, the adulation of the world, a fairytale story complete and the World Cup trophy lofted overhead. Once, those chapters and pages seemed to belong to Brazil at international level, almost exclusively at times, it felt.
No longer. It’s over two decades since the Selecao triumphed on the world stage and now, even worse, it was their greatest rivals who shared their own ecstasy and jubilation with the planet, their greatest rivals who now come knocking at the door of the Maracana, champions of the world and buoyant with optimism for what lies ahead.
