For the first time in its storied football history, Brazil has handed the keys to its national team to a foreigner. And not just any outsider—Carlo Ancelotti, the Italian coach with one of the most glittering CVs in world football.
After months of speculation and a long, uncertain search, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has confirmed what many had anticipated. At 65, Ancelotti leaves behind the comforts of Real Madrid and steps into the most high-pressure job in the sport: reviving a fallen giant.
“I know what this means,” Ancelotti said in a brief statement after the announcement. “Brazil is more than football. It’s identity, it’s pride, it’s history. I’ll do everything to honour that.”
He arrives at a low point for the Seleção. Since their quarter-final exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the subsequent resignation of Tite, Brazil have been adrift. In March, they slumped to a humiliating 4–1 home defeat to Argentina in World Cup qualifying—a result many here believe cut deeper than the infamous 7–1 loss to Germany in 2014.
There was no emotion this time, just emptiness. The midfield vanished, and Brazil, despite having attacking stars like Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, played with neither strategy nor bite.
“Brazil had no shape. No control. No plan,” said former midfielder Zé Roberto, speaking to TV Globo. “You can’t beat the best in the world like that.”
Under caretaker Dorival Junior, Brazil managed a notable 1–0 win over England at Wembley in a friendly earlier this year. But any optimism was quickly overshadowed by the team’s inconsistency and lack of cohesion. Dorival himself admitted as much. “We’ve lost our way against European teams,” he said post-match. “We need to understand why, and fix it.”
Now that burden falls to Ancelotti. And it’s more than tactics. This is about belief. The five-time world champions haven’t reached a World Cup final since 2002. Each tournament exit to European opposition—five in a row now—has cut a little deeper.
The Italian walks into a country where expectations never waver, even as confidence does. His appointment, once seen as taboo, has met with cautious acceptance. Brazilian clubs have long turned to foreign coaches—Palmeiras, Flamengo, Corinthians—all led at various times by Portuguese or Argentinian managers. Domestic coaching, many argue, has stalled.
“Local managers don’t have time to build anything,” said Mauro Cezar Pereira, a prominent football analyst. “One loss, and the fans are calling for blood. It kills creativity.”
Ancelotti, though, is not a man of reinvention. He is known for his calm, his player-first approach, and for getting stars to work together. Not flashy. Not revolutionary. But effective.
As O Globo columnist Carlos Mansur put it, “Guardiola creates new worlds. Ancelotti succeeds in the one that exists.”
His relationships with players like Vinicius could help build trust quickly. The forward, now one of Real Madrid’s brightest, credits Ancelotti for guiding him during difficult spells.
But some wonder if the CBF chose short-term results over long-term vision. Jorge Jesus, the Portuguese coach who led Flamengo to a remarkable 2019 campaign, was also considered. He brought swagger back to Brazilian football and showed that a daring, attacking style could win.
“He understood the culture,” said former Brazil striker Petkovic. “Jesus wasn’t just successful—he was loved. That matters.”
Yet in the end, Brazil wants trophies. And few managers have more than Ancelotti: Champions Leagues with Milan and Madrid, domestic titles in England, France, Germany, and Italy. He has seen it all. What he hasn’t done is win a World Cup—or manage a national team.
Still, for many, that’s a detail. The last time Brazil won it all—in 1994—they did so with grit, not flair. Dunga and Romario ground out results in the sweltering American heat, beating Italy on penalties in a final many found forgettable. But the trophy still shines the same.
If Ancelotti delivers the sixth star, Brazilians won’t care how it looks.
And if he doesn’t?
Well, it will be another chapter in a long, increasingly uneasy story of what once was the world’s most feared footballing force.
