The Brazil national team has broken with decades-long unwritten tradition and appointed Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti in the hope he can help the Canarinho lift the 2026 World Cup.
Spanish giants Real Madrid have confirmed the manager’s departure at the end of the season, and he will be replaced by Xabi Alonso, who is leaving German club Bayer Leverkusen to take up the position at arguably the world’s biggest club.
Ancelotti Takes Over
Rumours have been circling for months that Ancelotti was set to leave Real at the end of the season. It hasn’t come as a surprise to anybody that he has taken on the Brazilian national team, having been tasked with getting Brazil to the 2026 World Cup finals.
Before Ancelotti’s arrival, Brazil were listed at 7/1 to win the World Cup. His appointment has since shortened those odds to 6/1, a reflection of the stability and experience Ancelotti brings to the squad. Whether you bet on sports with crypto coins such as Bitcoin for the benefits of convenience, faster withdrawal speeds, or privacy, or prefer traditional currencies like the pound, you know, when bookmakers adjust the odds like this, it’s a direct response to the growing confidence in Brazil. Ancelotti’s proven record of winning major trophies and ability to steady a team in high-pressure moments have clearly made a difference.
Ancelotti’s first game in charge will be a qualifier against Ecuador on 6 June, after officially starting in the role on 26 May. They also host Paraguay on 11 June, with their final qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia taking place in September.
Brazil is currently in 4th position in the South American qualifying group, with the top 6 making it through to the finals. They are 6 points clear of 7th-placed Venezuela, and a superior goal difference means two wins out of those four remaining matches will see them qualify for next year’s tournament.
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The Squad
Brazil is the most successful national football team ever, having lifted the World Cup a record five times. However, their most recent success came in 2002, and, although they are likely to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, they have endured some poor results in qualifiers.
One of those results, a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Argentina, led to the country parting ways with former boss Dorival Junior. Brazil also lost qualifiers to Colombia and Paraguay while also drawing with Venezuela.
Despite those poor results, new manager Ancelotti has an immense amount of talent at his disposal, especially in attack. The South American team is considered the favourite or joint favourite by most sportsbooks, at odds of around 6/1.
They have the likes of Raphinha and Vinicius Junior, but Neymar has been left out of Ancelotti’s first Brazil squad. The manager cited Neymar’s ongoing recovery from a long-term knee injury and a focus on selecting players who are fully fit. Ancelotti has called on experienced players like Casemiro and Richarlison, while also providing opportunities for younger talents like Andrey Santos. Brazil’s squad certainly has a manager who is highly experienced and fair in European football.
Carlo Ancelotti
CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues said that Ancelotti’s appointment to lead Brazil is more than being strategic. In an official statement, he said that Brazil’s football squad was more than determined to regain its spot at the top of the world stage. Rodrigues said that he believes Ancelotti is one of “the greatest coaches in history” and believes he is the right person to coach and lead the greatest team, Brazil. He adds that Ancelotti’s appointment will be a new chapter for Brazilian football.
Brazil rarely appoints managers from abroad. In fact, Ancelotti will only be the fourth non-Brazilian at the helm, and the previous three only managed seven games between them. The most recent was Argentine Filpo Nunez, who managed a single game in 1965.
In Ancelotti, Brazil is getting a serial winner. He is the only manager to have won league titles in all of Europe’s five top leagues. He has also won the FIFA Club World Cup three times and the UEFA Super Cup five times.
With Chelsea, Ancelotti won the domestic double in 2009 but left in 2011 to manage PSG and won the club their first Ligue 1 title in nearly 20 years. In his first season, during his first term managing Real Madrid, he won the Champions League and the Copa Del Rey. However, despite a very successful term, he was sacked by Real in 2015. In 2021, he returned to Real and won two La Liga and Champions League doubles.
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