Brazil look to end 70-year World Cup hoodoo after Vini Jr comes painfully close

Brazil look to end 70-year World Cup hoodoo after Vini Jr comes painfully close as the team seeks a rare milestone dating back to Pelé’s 1958 hat-trick. The article notes that there have been 29 World Cup hat-tricks since then, but no Brazilian has achieved one in any World Cup match, and the country has never repeated the feat in the tournament’s history. It highlights Brazil’s overall success with five World Cup titles, yet points to star forwards who scored but never as a trio in a single game, listing Jairzinho, Romário, Ronaldo, Tostão, Bebeto, Careca, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, and Neymar. Neymar recovered fitness and made a cameo in Brazil’s final group game versus Scotland, when Vinícius Júnior scored twice and came close to completing a hat-trick. The focus is on ending the long wait following that near miss.