Brazil seek light of ‘Don’ in WC

Five-time champions will hope that the seasoned Italian coach can help team regain lost sheen. Swaroop Swaminathan assesses Selecao’s chances ahead of their opener

- Swaroop Swaminathan

IN May 2025, something seismic happened within the context of the Brazilian national team.

The federation, after hiring and firing managers, finally landed one of the most successful coaches in history. Carlo Ancelotti, serial winner and one of the greatest club coaches of all time, had swapped the comfort of some of the grandest European sides for the greatest national side in world football. There was, however, one catch. Brazil had never employed a foreign coach at a World Cup. It didn’t matter. Having endured a prolonged slump, they were willing to disregard history. After some back and forth, the Italian said yes.

At the Copa America in 2024, the Selecao were eliminated in the quarterfinals. To compound matters, they were wobbling in the World Cup qualifiers a year later. In March 2025, Argentina had thrashed them 4-1. The federation just didn’t know what was happening; there was only a sense of chaos wherever they looked. Don Carlo, as he’s popularly called, came in and helped arrest the slide.