2026 World Cup: Backlash in Brazil Against Ancelotti: “Outdated Soccer.” Controversy Over Vinicius’s Comments
Brazil was eliminated in the World Cup round of 16: this is its worst result since 1986, and head coach Carlo Ancelotti was inevitably put in the hot seat. The Brazilian media are harshly criticizing the Italian coach, who, in a press conference following the loss to Norway, nevertheless confirmed that he has no intention of resigning.
Brazilian journalists and pundits have shown no mercy, targeting the team’s attitude and Carletto’s tactical plan, which involved letting Norway control the game in order to capitalize on counterattacks. This decision was also based on the quality of the Seleção’s roster, which is a far cry from its golden age, but which, according to Brazilian fans and experts, goes against Brazil’s very nature.
“Ancelotti’s plan failed—it failed spectacularly. The national team is out of the World Cup, and it certainly can’t be called an injustice,” thundered Globoesporte. “There’s nothing to complain about. You can’t call it an injustice. You can’t even say the defeat came from playing like Brazil. From the very beginning, Brazil opted for a trap: giving the ball to Norway and relying on quick transitions. It worked very little.”
“The Seleção relied too heavily on a style that doesn’t fit its traditions and failed to be lethal when it had chances.” The substitutions also came under fire: “The substitutions made in the second half weakened the Brazilian team, put Norway back in the game, and the free kick proved fatal. After Danilo Santos and Neymar came on, Brazil stopped playing.”
The decision to have Bruno Guimaraes take the penalty—he’s taken just nine in his entire career—was also criticized. After the match, Vinicius explained that the decision was Ancelotti’s: “The coach chooses in advance who will take the penalty kick. He chose Bruno. I’ve never been vain; I’ve never wanted to be the tournament’s top scorer, and that’s why Bruno took it. I’ve never shied away from it.”
“I chose Bruno Guimarães because we considered him the best player on the field. Because we compiled a year’s worth of statistics on both our opponents and our own players,” Ancelotti explained.
In Brazil, many are calling for the Italian coach’s resignation: “The coach is completely out of sync with the Brazilian national team’s characteristics. Inadequate squad selection,” “Let’s be honest, folks, the Brazilian national team was already playing mediocre soccer even before the World Cup. In the first match against Morocco, they were lucky to draw—they were completely overwhelmed,” “He doesn’t have the Brazilian spirit and is trying to impose a European identity on our national team. A terrible choice for our national team,” “Brazil hired a coach who has done absolutely nothing,” “He’s had the team play defensively every single time. Brazil has even gone too far,”—there are thousands of comments like these.
