The pressure to win the World Cup on home soil is enormous for Brazil but experienced coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has no qualms about shouldering the burden. Scolari, 65, guided his country to their fifth triumph in the competition 12 years ago and has promised the fans more glory this time round.
"Every day I am more and more certain we are going to win the World Cup," he told an audience in the capital Brasilia in February.
"I know we must respect other teams but generally speaking we are better." Felipao, as he is known in Brazil, moved back into the hot seat in December 2012 after an interesting world tour of his own on which he coached Portugal for five years as well as having stints with Chelsea in England and Bunyodkor in Uzbekistan.
He returned to Brazil for a second spell with Palmeiras before taking over the national team again with the aim of transforming a group of highly promising youngsters into a more coherent unit, and to win back support from the country's demanding fans.
He has managed both with the consummate ease of a coach who has been there, done that and worn the tee-shirt.
The coach has unified the team and has his players performing for each other. It is reminiscent of the 'Familia Scolari' approach he adopted in 2002.
"I think Felipao is the right man at the right time," saidformer Middlesbrough playmaker Juninho, who was a member of the squad that won in Japan 12 years ago.
"He cares about what goes on off the pitch, how players behave, if they give their all, if they support their colleagues when they're on the bench.
"He looks for that kind of player. It's about what they bring to the group and that way the group ends up being stronger than the sum of its parts."
Brazil were unfancied before the Confederations Cup last year but they steamrollered the opposition, winning all five games and hammering world champions Spain 3-0 in the final.
The players who handed the Spaniards their heaviest competitive defeat in almost 30 years will form the nucleus of his World Cup squad.
That continuity is a key factor in uniting the home fans behind the team and the national purpose.
The supporters have a good idea which players will form his preferred starting lineup for the tournament, when Brazil play Croatia in the opening match, and Felipao has repeatedly told the fans they will have a key role in bringing the trophy home.
"Be with us during the World Cup: participate, jump up and down, get into the spirit," he has said.
"We want you to help us particularly when we are in trouble because that is when you can make the difference."
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