On June 25, in the opening round of the Copa América group stage, Brazil drew 0-0 with Costa Rica, missing their chance to start with a victory. Following the match, Brazilian fans expressed strong dissatisfaction with their team’s performance and agreed with Ronaldinho’s pre-match statement that he would not be watching the Brazilian squad.
Despite Neymar’s absence, Brazil’s team was still star-studded, with Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, and Rafinha all starting. In the first half, Marquinhos’ goal was disallowed for a marginal offside, and the referee repeatedly ignored fouls committed by Costa Rica inside their own penalty area. However, Brazil’s attacking superiority was not enough to overcome the less-favored Costa Rica.
According to the Brazilian sports outlet Lance!, fans were furious with the team’s first outing, casting a shadow over the Seleção’s title aspirations after a disappointing start.
Before the tournament, Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho had stated that he would neither watch the Copa América nor follow the Brazilian team. Although it later emerged that his comments were part of an advertising campaign, Brazilian fans maintained that Ronaldinho’s critique of the team was valid and that it was indeed better not to watch the game.