Dani Alves will become Brazil’s oldest World Cup captain on Friday against Cameroon.
The 39-year-old full-back, who now plays in Mexico for UNAM’s Pumas, will wear the armband as manager Tite prepares to make changes.
Brazil have already qualified for the Round of 16 with first place in Group G guaranteed if they avoid defeat.
Alves said: “For me it represents the fact that I can wear the Brazil shirt. It makes me very proud to be here.”
The former Barcelona defender has recovered from a knee injury to compete in his third World Cup.
“I have been with the Brazilian team for many years and being able to end this cycle playing a World Cup makes me very happy,” added Alves, who made his international debut in 2006.
“It’s been 16 years with the national team and I tried to do my best. Life, I think, always rewards people who love what they do, who really give their best in the mission.
“I think I’m reaping what I’ve planted in these 16 years.”
Tite insisted he was not yet focused on the knockout stage, despite the planned changes.
“We have 26 great players and I don’t have time to focus on the big picture,” he said.
“We’re going to make some changes, we’re going to include key players. In two games we’ve used 19 players. We don’t call them starters or reserves, they’re all players.”
Cameroon, who came back from a two-goal deficit in their previous game against Serbia to draw 3-3, must win and hope Switzerland fail to beat Serbia to qualify.
Head coach Rigobert Song said: “As for tomorrow’s stakes, we know the Brazilian team by heart.
“But we’re not worried about what they’re going to bring to the game, it’s what we bring to the game.
“I don’t care what they are going to do, it’s about us. We prepare as if we were playing a final.”
MATCH STATISTICS
- Brazil have won the previous two World Cup matches between them and Cameroon – 3-0 in 1994 and 4-1 in 2014.
- Brazil have won all seven of their FIFA World Cup matches against African sides, scoring 20 goals and conceding just two.
- A defeat or draw for Cameroon will see them knocked out of the World Cup group stage in their sixth consecutive finals appearance, last reaching the round of 16 in 1990. They have never won their last group stage game in seven previous World Cup appearances (D2 L5).
- Brazil are yet to face a single shot on target at the 2022 World Cup, the first team not to face a shot on target in their first two games in a tournament since France in 1998.
THE PREDICTION OF CHRIS SUTTON
We saw Serbia and Switzerland focus on excluding Brazil and they succeeded for a while.
The difference is that Cameroon must win this game to have a chance of staying in the tournament.
Brazil could make some changes now that they are done, but if Cameroon open up and play expansive football against them, things will only go one way.
Sutton’s prediction: 0-4
Sutton’s full predictions for the final round of World Cup matches.
