Brazil’s participation in the 2014 World Cup was marked by great expectation and strong national emotion. For only the second time in history, Brazil was hosting the world’s biggest football tournament — the first had been in 1950 — and the fans believed the team could win its sixth world title at home.

Host countries usually have success at World Cups and the 2014 edition was lined up for Brazil to add a sixth star to its jersey. After cruising through the group stage with two wins and a draw, the Seleção were pushed in their first two knockout stage matches.

Brazil have advanced to the World Cup round of 16, despite many experts predicting that Japan would defeat the Seleção. The football-mad South American nation has lost some of its lustre since the team's dramatic 7-1 loss to Germany in 2014 on home soil – a World Cup that traumatised an entire nation,