Ancelotti’s First Big Test—Can the Renowned Italian Coach Save Brazil?

This is the first time in Brazil’s football history that the team will be led by a foreign head coach as they compete at the World Cup. Ancelotti—this celebrated coach who has won the UEFA Champions League and conquered the five major European leagues—can he carry the burden of Brazil’s “five-star” squad?

It must be admitted that the timing of Ancelotti taking over Brazil is not a good one. The World Cup qualifiers are already halfway through, the team’s morale is low, and the tactical system is in disarray. After taking charge, his greatest contribution has been to stabilize the dressing room and bring together a Brazil side that had once been plagued by internal conflicts. But on the tactical front, he is still experimenting. Based on the warm-up matches, Ancelotti has tried 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, and even 4-2-4. He has kept switching up the lineup, and so far, there has been no stable starting XI.

In the warm-up match against Egypt, Ancelotti fielded a 4-4-2. Vinícius and Raphinha swapped positions flexibly in the front line, and Brazil played an “effortless” flowing attack. After the match, he said with confidence that he had already found a lineup to deal with Morocco. But almost immediately, the starting right-back Wesley was injured, and Neymar was also confirmed to miss the match. Ancelotti’s job suddenly became much more difficult.

Ancelotti is a coach who is very good at knowing who to use and how to set the pieces up. At Real Madrid, he was able to bring Vinícius, Rodrygo, and Valverde—young players—together into a cohesive unit. In Brazil, he is facing a group of players overflowing with talent, and the issue he needs to solve is “how to get these geniuses to play together.” He may make changes during the match; if the attack can’t get going, he might bring on a more pure striker in the second half.

This match against Morocco is truly Ancelotti’s first real major test since taking charge of Brazil. Whether he can find a way to break down the impenetrable “iron fortress” defense in the absence of Neymar will directly determine how far Brazil can go in this World Cup.

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