Carlo Ancelotti has established as one of the greatest coaches in soccer history. He excelled not only with Real Madrid, but also with AC Milan, PSG, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich. Despite this, he had never coached a national team before, so his arrival in Brazil was quite a challenge. Nevertheless, he has been recognized for coaching numerous Brazilian legends, even daring to field a starting lineup featuring the most outstanding players.
In an interview with Radio Marca, Ancelotti decided to field a starting lineup consisting entirely of Brazilian players he has coached. “In goal I could put Dida. Cafu on the right, Éder Militão or Thiago Silva as center-backs and Marcelo on the left. In midfield Casemiro, Kaká… I’m surely forgetting someone. On the right Rodrygo or wherever he wants, on the left Vinícius Júnior, and up front I have many doubts: Ronaldo Nazário, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho… there are many.”
Although Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. are still young players, Carlo Ancelotti already places them among the best Brazilians he has coached. He even decided to name them before Rivaldo or Ronaldinho, leaving several fans surprised. The truth is that the Italian has boosted the best version of several Brazilians, which has led him to be one of the most respected managers for legends such as Marcelo, Casemiro, Cafu, among others.
Taking advantage of his good relationship with Brazilian stars, Ancelotti seeks to consolidate a winning sporting project, based on collective play. He not only knows Vinícius closely, but also has an excellent relationship with veterans such as Casemiro, giving him more support in the dressing room. In addition, he aims to develop young players like Estêvão, paving the way to create more stars as he has done throughout his career.
Vinicius Junior is subbed off by Carlo Ancelotti, Head Coach of Brazil.
Ancelotti discusses Brazil and the 2026 World Cup situation
Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil have regained their competitiveness, qualifying for the 2026 World Cup despite their recent slump. By relying on Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães in midfield, he has managed to restore stability, with Vinicius, Matheus Cunha, and Estevão leading the offense. For that reason, he has decided to open up about the different reality he faces day after day, mentioning the 2026 World Cup as more than just a motivation.
see also
Neymar’s 2026 FIFA World Cup dream at serious risk: Santos star’s absence from key match sparks fresh Brazil tension as Carlo Ancelotti left unimpressed
“Less stress because there are not many matches; it is more a job of observation. There is no need to prepare training every day, it is a different job, with much more pause… Brazil has at least 70 players who can be in the national team, and making an evaluation of all of them is not so simple… They have been asking for it for a long time (the World Cup Trophy). This is not only an objective, it is also a motivation,” Ancelotti said, via Radio Marca.
While there has been talk of a possible departure from Brazil, Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that he will renew his contract for four more years after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With this, the Italian shows that the slower rhythm of the national team perfectly fits his expectations. Nevertheless, he could still depend on a good performance in the anticipated tournament, as an early exit could put his future at risk.
