Brazil secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Haiti in Philadelphia, but the night was overshadowed by the distressed exit of Raphinha just before half-time. The Barcelona winger, who had earlier seen a goal ruled out for offside, went to ground clutching the back of his right thigh in the 38th minute, his face a portrait of frustration. After brief treatment, he was replaced by the inexperienced Bournemouth forward Rayan, walking off to consoling pats from team-mates and a terse handshake from manager Carlo Ancelotti.

The match itself was a procession. Matheus Cunha opened the scoring with a deflected effort and added a fine second, while Vinicius Junior swept home a third to put the game beyond doubt by the interval. Yet the ease of the win could not mask the anxiety on the Brazilian bench. As Raphinha sat with ice strapped to his leg, the Seleção’s medical staff faced a familiar problem: the 29-year-old has endured a litany of right-thigh injuries this season, missing 24 matches and spending 112 days on the sidelines, including two months recovering from a hamstring tear sustained in March.

From Rio de Janeiro to London, the reaction was one of deep concern. Brazilian correspondents highlighted the cruel irony of a player who had declared himself fully fit entering the tournament, only to be struck down in the same vulnerable area. European analysts note the recurrence risk inherent in Raphinha’s explosive sprints, while Ancelotti’s earlier praise—he called the winger one of the world’s five best players—underscores the tactical void. That gap is already felt with Neymar still confined to rehabilitation for a calf injury, watching from home in compression boots.

Brazil now await the results of scans scheduled for Saturday, with the group-stage finale against Scotland looming on 24 June. Even a minor strain could rule Raphinha out of a match that will likely decide top spot in Group C. Ancelotti, who turned to the raw but direct Rayan as a substitute, may be forced to improvise again. For a squad built on attacking riches, the prospect of entering a knockout phase without two creative sparks raises uncomfortable questions about its depth.