Carlo Ancelotti and the Brazilian national team. It could very well be a match made in heaven, theoretically at least.
The Brazilian national team, which has won the World Cup a record five times, has a new manager in the form of Carlo Ancelotti.
The Italian is the first foreign manager of the Selecao.
Ancelotti has himself won the UEFA Champions League a record five times as a manager and remains one of the most successful managers in the history of club football.
Ideally, it should go on to become a great match between an iconic national team and a legendary manager.
However, Brazil have often flattered to deceive during the past two decades, which will keep their supporters sceptical.
Carlo Ancelotti Will Have a Wealth of Talent To Choose From
Ancelotti will have an abundance of resources at his disposal.
There will be attacking players like Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Raphinha, Neymar, Bruno Guimaraes, Gabriel Martinelli, Lucas Pacqueta and defensive ones like Marquinhos, Eder Militao, Gabriel and Joelinton.
Brazil also have two top-class goalkeepers – Alisson Becker and Ederson – in their ranks.
However, the results have not been in keeping with the talent at Brazil’s disposal.
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Qualifying Should Be Easy – Winning Still Isn’t
Brazil are currently fourth in the World Cup qualifiers table for CONMEBOL with 21 points from 14 matches.
They still have four matches to play and both Paraguay and Colombia are tantalizingly close to them.
However, as six teams will qualify directly from South America in the new 48-team format for the 2026 World Cup, the pressure on Brazil has eased off somewhat.
However, Ancelotti will know too well that merely qualifying for the World Cup is not enough for a team like Brazil. Hence, he will have to make them play quality football and win their matches on a regular basis.
The Brazilians were hammered 4-1 by arch-rivals Argentina in March, a result that directly influenced the sacking of their previous manager, Dorival Junior.
Ancelotti has managed the star-studded Real Madrid side for many years in the past and handling big egos should not be a problem for him.
In addition to that, the 65-year-old Italian does not believe in any particular philosophy in football and relies on pragmatism instead to devise his strategy.
He has already worked with the likes of Vinicius, Rodrygo and Militao at Real Madrid. Ancelotti has already made his first pair of big decisions by leaving Neymar out of the squad and including Vanderson in it.
In 2026, the Selecao will be aiming at their first World Cup crown since 2002, when a galaxy of stars like Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu and Roberto Carlos won the title for them.
Ancelotti will probably not have access to players of such calibre but might be able to hone the current ones to greater heights.
As the first foreign manager of Brazil, he should be able to handle the pressure and command enough respect in the dressing room almost with immediate effect.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Xinhua
Recording Date: 26.05.2025