For Belgium, without a shining star, Marc Wilmots will lead the way for a team which scrambled a last-gasp victory over Russia to scrape through into the second round in Group D. The really telling statistic, however, shows Belgium have made 126 tackles so far this World Cup, 67 of which have been fouls.

Which suggests that, if Brazil are to set up the first competitive match with England for 32 years, they will have to survive a physical battle to do so. Not that England has crossed their minds, according to former Middlesbrough midfielder Juninho.

‘‘All we are thinking of now is Belgium,’’ said Juninho after training at the KobeWing stadium last night. ‘‘After that we’ll think about England but let’s win tomorrow first. In 1982, I think Brazil had a brilliant team but didn’t win so now we are playing well but we have to win because nobody will remember this team otherwise. There is pressure on us to win from back home. We are like Italy. We always have to win.’’

The way this Brazilian side have lit up this tournament, however, it would be the biggest surprise of a World Cup full of shocks if they were to miss out on what could possibly be the match of the tournament in the quarter-final.

There is nothing quite as thrilling as the yellow shirts of Brazil in full flow as they showed in exhibition-type wins over China and Costa Rica. And there is no more heartwarming story at the World Cup than the rehabilitation of Ronaldo.

The Brazilian striker, who suffered a seizure immediately prior to the World Cup final in 1998 before wandering around the Stade de France against the French in a daze, has been beset by injury problems for the best part of four years. He underwent an operation to reconstruct a knee and had played no more than a handful of games for Inter Milan before coming into this tournament.

But the muse is back and coach Luiz Felipe Scolari’s warning that the world could not expect Brazil to play the ‘jogo bonito’, the beautiful game, any more after losing a third of their qualifying ties looks to be groundless.

Not that the Brazilians are a soft touch. Anything but. Already FIFA’s statistics show they have made 141 tackles, only 37 of which have been fouls. It is goals, however, which are the real Brazilian currency and ominously Ronaldo has struck four, one more than 33-year-old Wilmots, whose time at German club Schalke has also been dogged by injuries.

With Roberto Carlos flying up the flank and the intelligent Denilson pulling the strings with Rivaldo in midfield it is hardly surprising Brazil are the new favourites to win the tournament after the demise of France and Argentina.

Carlos, however, is dismissing all the hype which surrounds a country with a World Cup history which includes four trophy-winning tournaments in 1958, 1962, 1970 and 1994.

‘‘The World Cup is about winning the final,’’ he said. ‘‘So far, the tournament has only just started.’’

Goalkeeper Marcos, playing in his first finals following the retirement of Claudio Taffarel, added: ‘‘We have to go about being favourites in the right, positive way. We can’t lose our concentration because of the attention on us.’’