Raphinha Injury Update: Is Raphinha Playing Today vs. Norway in World Cup?

Brazil winger Raphinha has dealt with a hamstring injury since Matchday 2 of the group stage vs. Haiti. He’s missed the last two games but has made promising progress ahead of today’s World Cup Round of 16 match vs. Norway at 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 5. 

Despite initial reports on Friday of Raphinha being ruled out vs. Norway, Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti said Raphinha would be available on the bench for Sunday’s Round of 16 match. 

Brazil has a 1.35x payout to advance vs. Norway on PrizePicks Team Picks. Will the Brazilians look to advance without pushing Raphinha off the bench?

Let’s look at the latest Raphinha injury update, if he could play today, and how his status impacts Brazil vs. Norway picks on player projections for PrizePicks.

Make your Raphinha and Brazil vs. Norway picks for World Cup Round of 16 on PrizePicks now!

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Raphinha Injury Update: Is Raphinha Playing Today vs. Norway in World Cup Round of 16?

We saw Raphinha return to team training on Friday, July 3, yet reports emerged that he was ruled out. Brazil’s manager contradicted those reports ahead of today’s match by suggesting he could be available off the bench.

Ancelotti went on to say Raphinha is “not quite at 100% yet” but said he could come on the pitch in case he needs to play a few minutes or come in for key moments. 

Frankly, this may come down to the situation vs. Norway. Is Brazil trailing and needing big lineup changes with limited time remaining in the Round of 16 fixture? That’s when we could see Ancelotti become desperate enough to push Raphinha.

If he logs minutes on Sunday, PrizePicks lists a few projections for Raphinha, including 1.5 shots (goblin), 0.5 shots on target (goblin), and 0.5 goals (demon).

When Raphinha initially suffered the injury, the quarterfinals were circled as a potential return date. So far, he’s right on schedule, which would take place on Saturday, July 11, if Brazil advances. 

Despite Raphinha’s absence in the last two games, the Brazilians have remained productive on the attack with 2.5 goals per match in their 3-0 win vs. Scotland on Matchday 3, followed by a 2-1 dub over Japan in the Round of 32. That included 4.33 expected goals (xG) vs. Scotland and 2.07 xG against Japan, via FotMob.

PrizePicks Team Picks features a 1.66x payout for Brazil vs. Norway going over the 2.5 goal total, suggesting more success could be ahead for the Brazilian attack.

Which players become targets for Brazil vs. Norway picks on PrizePicks if Raphinha is out or limited on Sunday?

Get our Brazil vs. Norway prediction and expert picks HERE!

What Brazil Players to Target for PrizePicks if Raphinha Is Out?

Canarinho remains one of the best attacks at World Cup 2026, proven by 9.4 xG (third). Norway’s had a susceptible defense, conceding 2.0 goals per match (35th) and 5.5 xG throughout the tournament (33rd). 

With that said, Brazil is capable of remaining productive without Raphinha on the pitch. The Round of 16 battle could be about keeping Norway out of the goal. 

The Vikings have totaled 2.5 goals per match (tied for fifth) and 8.3 xG at World Cup 2026 (tied for seventh). One of the world’s best strikers, Erling Haaland, leads the Norse attack with 5 goals in three matches.

Raphinha likely wouldn’t provide much in slowing Norway’s attack. As long as Brazil is getting chances around the box, the right winger will likely not be featured. 

If Raphinha does not play in the World Cup Round of 16, here’s who could benefit for Brazil vs. Norway picks on PrizePicks.

• LW Vinícius Júnior — 3 Shots / 1.5 Shots on Target / 0.5 Goals (Demon)
• RW Rayan — 2 Attempted Dribbles / 0.5 Goal + Assist (Demon) / 0.5 Shots on Target (Goblin)
• ST Matheus Cunha — 2.5 Shots / 0.5 Goals (Demon) / 20.5 Passes Attempted

LW Vinícius Júnior, who is in the Golden Boot race, has been a major piece of the puzzle with 4 goals, 3.87 xG, and 2.56 shots on target per match (100th percentile). His outstanding form has overshadowed Raphinha’s absence, logging 3.85 shots (90th percentile), 2.56 successful dribbles (81st percentile), and 8.97 touches in the opposition’s box per 90 (94th percentile).

Brazil RW Rayan has replaced Raphinha in the starting lineup, and he’s mainly featured in a distributing role by logging 0.41 assists per 90 (82nd percentile), a 93.2% successful pass rate (94th percentile), and 2.84 chances created per 90 (84th percentile).

Finally, ST Matheus Cunha is likely getting more opportunity thanks to Raphinha’s injury. In fact, he’s recorded 1.15 goals (87th percentile), 3.83 shots (84th percentile), and 1.91 shots on target per 90 (87th percentile). He’s tallied 3 goals over three matches since becoming the squad’s starting striker.

Combine Brazil to Win + Vinícius Júnior picks on PrizePicks

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Make Brazil vs. Norway World Cup 2026 Picks on PrizePicks

While Raphinha is available off the bench for today’s match vs. Norway, Brazil may need to go one more game without their standout right winger. Led by Vini Jr., Rayan, and Cunha, this attack could still have enough punch to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals.

Don’t wait until lock — make your Brazil vs. Norway picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right on every World Cup game.

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