World Cup 2026: Brazil Needs a Major Overhaul, Does Carlo

Four years ago, Brazil considered themselves unlucky when they were eliminated from the World Cup by Croatia in the quarter-finals. In the two previous editions, they also felt a little unlucky when they were defeated by Belgium at the same stage. But this time, Brazil didn't even make it to the round, and their loss to Norway could by no means be called unlucky. This is a real disaster. Carlo Ancelotti, who arrived after Brazil were crushed 4-1 by Argentina in March last year, has a lot of homework to do. In the 16 matches he coached, Brazil recorded 10 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats. He managed to turn around a team that had previously struggled in World Cup qualifying, with Brazil losing four of their five matches before his arrival. However, all of that turned out to be not enough. Now, Brazil needs a major overhaul, especially in the midfield which used to be the team's strength and creativity. Brazil's inability to play an imaginative midfield game has lost them many favors, and they have now lost the match. The fact that they lost possession of the ball to Norway on such a warm day at the World Cup was surprising — but it had everything to do with the composition of the team. Ancelotti was forced to recall Casemiro, who had previously disappeared from the national team for 18 months. While there is the benefit of Casemiro's return providing structure to the team and freeing up Bruno Guimaraes, who prior to his missed penalty against Norway was in fine form, his vulnerability in open space remains an issue. The absence of Lucas Paquetá, who was injured in the previous round against Japan, was also an important factor. Ancelotti admits that he does not have another player with similar characteristics. Enter Gabriel Martinelli from Arsenal, who made the team's attack rely heavily on fast attacks. Ancelotti's initial decision to only call up five midfielders proved to be a serious mistake, and when right-back Wesley was injured in the final warm-up match, he seized the opportunity to call up Ederson who may join Manchester United.  However, if the coach can be blamed, the country is too. Brazil are now producing more wingers than they can handle, but not enough quality midfielders. And in the middle of all this, there is Neymar. This is completely the coach's responsibility. Indeed, the context is not easy. A fascinated public wants Neymar's presence, without realizing that he no longer looks like he used to. Ancelotti stated that Neymar would only be called up if he deserved it, and would not take injured players — but he broke all the rules for Neymar. In his performance against Scotland, Neymar looked like a retired player. It was very surprising that Ancelotti played him in this match. Without the mobility to return, Neymar had to play as a center forward, which forced Vinicius Jr and Endrick to play further out and deeper — away from the goal, where they should be. This opened up space for Norway to provide a good pass to Erling Haaland, who immediately took advantage. Neymar eventually scored from the penalty spot, but he should have been sent off for a wild kick, a final gesture before leaving the stage. After the match, Neymar indicated that this might be the end of his international career, saying: "I've tried, I've tried... now it's finished! I started here, and I finished here," referring to his debut at the same stadium in New Jersey in 2010. Ancelotti, on the other hand, insisted that this was not the end, but the start of a new cycle. "What I can say, what we can do and we will do is keep working hard for the national team, keep trying to improve and find new ideas. I think we have done a good job, but this is football and this is sport. You just have to face it, face the sadness and the bitterness of defeat. I am used to this and we will overcome it. We will use this as fuel going forward." Preparations for the 2030 World Cup start now. Qualifying would be a breeze — Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay are already there as hosts, holding one match each as a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the World Cup. Ancelotti has a big long-term contract. Is he the right person to undertake this major overhaul? Or is he better as a problem solver? A coach who with a few changes and attention has amassed many wins across Europe. But not with Brazil. Not this time. Will there be a next opportunity? --- ## Related Articles 1. [Manchester City Players Shine at 2026 World Cup Group Stage](https://pitchpulsemedia.com/en/news/manchester-city-players-shine-at-2026-world-cup-group-stage) 2. [Vòng knockout World Cup 2026: Ai sẽ đến Boston và tương lai của đội](https://banthangvn.com/vi/news/vong-knockout-world-cup-2026-ai-se-en-boston-va-tuong-lai-cua-oi-tuyen-my)

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