Orlando: We want Brazil to be known for our hunger

Brazil begin their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026™ campaign against Tanzania on 5 September, with the South American giants looking to reach the final of the competition for the first time at their 12th attempt.

The responsibility to reach that milestone falls on coach Camilla Orlando, who wants Brazil to be recognised for their relentless attacking intent, mirroring the approach of Arthur Elias’s senior side.

“We want this team to be known for their hunger to score at every opportunity,” she told FIFA in an exclusive interview. “Everything we do is geared towards winning the ball back and, when we’re in possession, getting forward and creating chances. Our focus is always on finding the back of the net. People can expect an attacking U-20 Seleção side who are constantly looking to threaten.”

Despite the similarities between her U-20 team and their senior counterparts, Orlando stressed that Brazil do not use one fixed system across their age groups. Indeed, Elias himself frequently changes the senior team’s set-up. Orlando wants a chameleon-like Canarinha side capable of adapting to the demands of each specific match.

“There is alignment in terms of our approach,” she explained. “We want Brazil’s U-20 women’s team to be an attacking, aggressive side, but that doesn’t necessarily mean adopting the exact same style of play as the senior team. We are working on building a squad who can adapt to the demands of each game.

“We want more tactically aware players who know when to trust their instincts without relying on them entirely. They need to understand tactical structures, patterns of play and how to exploit space. We want them to combine that intelligence with courage, character, a hunger for goals and a desire to keep improving."

Each new crop of Brazilian players arrives at the U-20 Women’s World Cup better prepared than the last. As the women’s game has developed, Orlando’s players have gained experience of major competitions from an increasingly early age. “This is the first generation to have gone through the entire development pathway,” she said.

That progress could accelerate the players’ path to the senior side during a cycle culminating in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ – where every Brazilian dreams of helping the Seleção lift the trophy for the first time.

Orlando, however, is reluctant to make that possibility the U-20 side’s primary mission. “Of course, we want to fast-track the development of certain players so they have a chance of making the World Cup squad,” she stated. “For now, though, our focus is on performing well at the U-20 World Cup.”

Even so, recent examples are giving the players further cause to dream. Dudinha and Taina Maranhao scored in Brazil's FIFA Series™ win over Korea Republic back in April, while Tarciane and Luany also played during the event.

Kaylane, Evelin, Clarinha and Thais Lima, meanwhile, are all potential members of Orlando’s Poland 2026 squad that have earned senior call-ups from Elias in recent months.

“Seeing those players shine inspires the girls to dream even bigger,” Orlando said. “We also encourage them to think about the players they want to become, the example they want to set for the next generation and the challenges their predecessors overcame to bring us to this historic moment.”

Around 65 players have been involved with Brazil’s U-20 side during the cycle, but only 21 will travel to the tournament. Orlando therefore hopes the experience will indirectly benefit a much wider group than just those who are called up to the final squad.

“That way, we can spread the World Cup experience more widely,” she explained. “If we play with courage, tactical intelligence, commitment and respect for the Brazil shirt, while always looking to score, I will consider our work a success. If we’re able to put all of that into practice, we’ll be well-placed to go after our other major objective: winning Brazil’s first U-20 Women’s World Cup title.”