Brazil faces Norway in Sunday's round of 16, extending a streak of advancing from every World Cup group since 1966 and reaching at least the quarterfinals since 1990. Yet the five-time champions haven't lifted the trophy since 2002, a 24-year drought that has ESPN writers across six nations debating whether the Seleção's once-unmistakable aura has dimmed.

ESPN correspondents from the U.S., Mexico, U.K., France, Spain, and Australia shared generational touchstones: Americans recall Romário and Bebeto's 1994 triumph on home soil; Brits and French cite Ronaldo's 1998-2002 brilliance; Spaniards remember the 2006 "All-Star" squad of Ronaldinho, Kaká, and Adriano; Australians grew up on Ronaldo Nazário highlights; Mexicans point to Guillermo Ochoa's 2014 masterclass against Neymar's side.

The consensus: Brazil's yellow shirt still carries unique weight globally. Casual U.S. fans equate the nation with soccer itself; Mexicans adopt them post-elimination; Europeans trace their earliest football memories to Pelé, Zico, or Ronaldinho. But the free-flowing jogo bonito that defined eras from 1958 through 2002 feels increasingly like nostalgia.

Tradition remains Brazil's identity — an attacking mandate that brings anticipation every match. Yet results haven't matched the myth. The Seleção still captures imagination, but the gap between memory and current evidence widens with each tournament.