Brazil Uses NFL-Style Wrist Tech as World Cup Prep Intensifies

Brazil is preparing for its World Cup opener against Morocco with an eye on winning a sixth title, and the match will also mark a milestone for both head coaches. Carlo Ancelotti and Mohamed Mahebi will each be managing in their first major tournament in their current jobs, while Mahebi will be taking charge of a senior national team for the first time in his career.

During Brazil's final training session, attention turned to a new piece of technology worn by several players, including center backs Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhaes. The special bands, called Wrist Coaches or Play Bracelets, look like simple protective gear but are designed to help players remember plays, set pieces and instructions. In practice, they function like a wrist-mounted tablet with immediate access to staff information.

The report said the Brazilian federation invested heavily in advanced equipment for the World Cup to give the squad the best possible conditions and gain an edge in the smallest details. The technology is best known from the NFL, where quarterbacks and defensive players use similar devices.

On the football side, training suggests Matheus Cunha will get the nod up front against the Atlas Lions, with Igor Thiago likely to come off the bench as Brazil changes its approach in the final third. Ancelotti's expected XI is Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhaes and Alex Sandro; Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta; Raphinha, Vinicius Junior and Matheus Cunha. Only Gabriel Magalhaes, Bruno Guimaraes and Matheus Cunha did not start Brazil's first match at the previous World Cup in Qatar, when Thiago Silva partnered Marquinhos in defense, Richarlison led the line and Neymar played as a No. 10.