Carlo Ancelotti will take charge of his first game as Brazil manager when the Selecao travel to Guayaquil to face Ecuador on Thursday night.
The former Real Madrid boss arrives to replace Dorival Junior, who was sacked after the 4-1 defeat to Argentina in March's qualifying window, but there are no worries about potentially missing out on the finals, with Brazil now comfortably inside the top six.
Match preview
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There will be no time for welcoming parties, as Ancelotti must get Brazil winning and playing attractive football instantly, after a very underwhelming qualifying campaign so far.
Brazil are six points clear of Venezuela inside the top six, but were it not for the expanded World Cup format, they would have been in serious danger of missing out on the finals for the first time ever.
That is especially true when taking into account that Brazil will now face the nation currently in second place away from home, and winning their final two home games against Paraguay and Chile may not be enough to move them much further up the standings.
Losing in such fashion as Brazil did to bitter rivals Argentina in March was always going to spell the end of Dorival Junior's tenure in charge, but the outgoing manager has left Ancelotti in a comfortable position.
At one point, it seemed possible that Brazil would not even finish in the top six, but 11 points from a possible 15 prior to the trip to Buenos Aires has all but confirmed the Selecao's place at next summer's World Cup, so Ancelotti now has an opportunity to embed his ideas with less pressure on results.
Dorival managed to beat Ecuador in the reverse fixture too, despite the form of their opponents in this section, as Rodrygo got the only goal in a 1-0 win back in September.
Ecuador have not beaten Brazil since 2004, going 13 games without a win since, but Sebastian Beccacece's men have been sensational during qualifying.
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Despite starting with a three-point deduction, La Tricolor sit second behind Argentina, having taken 26 points on the pitch from their 14 games so far.
Form at home has been particularly notable, with Ecuador still unbeaten in their own backyard, taking 17 points from seven matches.
Only Colombia and Paraguay have taken anything away to Ecuador in the section, and even then, they could only manage 0-0 draws with Beccacece's men.
The hosts have conceded just two goals in those seven matches, but they still have to welcome Brazil and Argentina before qualifying is out, and that will be a true test of their credentials, especially as their only two defeats in the section have come against those two.
A 0-0 draw away to Chile last time out did end a three-game winning run for Ecuador, but there is little doubt that they will qualify for a second successive World Cup this month.
Team News
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There is a similar look to the Ecuador squad that was called up in March, as the four players who are not present this time around are all inexperienced squad players.
Beccacece has stuck with largely the same XI throughout qualifying, and the settled nature of the side has certainly played a role in their success.
Among those set to start are Champions League winner Willian Pacho, the experienced Enner Valencia, who is three caps shy of reaching 100, and Chelsea star Moises Caicedo, who has already racked up 53 caps by the age of 23.
Pacho's defensive partner at Paris Saint-Germain is set to line up on the opposing team, with Marquinhos named in the Brazil squad just days after lifting the trophy for the French club in Munich.
Injury and a lack of fitness has kept Rodrygo and Neymar out of this window, and despite saying his Brazil team will play like Real Madrid, Vinicius Junior is the only Los Blancos player in Ancelotti's squad, with Eder Militao and Endrick also absent.
A huge number of Premier League players are missing from the camp, with England-based internationals accounting for just seven of the squad this time around, after it being over half back in March, with Joao Gomes, Andre, Gabriel Magalhaes, Joao Pedro and Murillo among a long list of players left out.
Ecuador possible starting lineup:
Galindez; Ordonez, Pacho, Hincapie, Estupinan; Preciado, Vite, Caicedo, Franco, Plata; Valencia
Brazil possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Vanderson, Danilo, Marquinhos, Augusto; Guimaraes, Gerson; Raphinha, Cunha, Vinicius Junior; Richarlison
We say: Ecuador 1-1 Brazil
Ancelotti could not have been handed many tougher games to begin his reign than this one, against an Ecuador side that have not suffered a single defeat at home in qualifying.
The hosts have been hugely impressive, and just seem to keep getting better as the campaign progresses, and a win here could be enough to seal their place at the finals, if Venezuela lose to Bolivia, but Brazil have a point to prove under their new manager.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
