"He's illuminated. Everyone is following his plan. When he asks me to do something, I'll do it. I won't look back." That's Endrick — a teenager at his first World Cup — talking about Carlo Ancelotti. When a player speaks about his coach like that, you stop wondering whether the appointment was a good idea.
Brazil's path to the Round of 16 hasn't been clean. A 1-1 draw with Morocco, a wobble against Japan that saw them go into half-time a goal down, injuries to Estêvão, Militão, and Rodrygo before a ball was kicked. They beat Haiti 3-0, Scotland 3-0, and needed Gabriel Martinelli's goal six minutes into injury time to see off Japan. This is not the Brazil of 1970. Ancelotti isn't trying to make it that.
Forget Jogo Bonito — This Is Ancelotti-Ball
"The goal is to win," Ancelotti said after the Scotland match. "A manager is only judged if he wins or loses — it doesn't matter if we play well." That quote will irritate Brazilian romantics. It should reassure everyone else.
What he's building is deliberate flexibility. A 4-2-4 against Morocco. A counter-pressing setup against Haiti. More central use of Vinícius Júnior. Deep crosses to suffocate Japan. He described it himself: "I want my team to be able to do many things: defend with a low block, attack, make the most of the players' quality, be aggressive up front, drop back." It's a Swiss Army Knife — not a samba, but potentially far more effective at a tournament where tactical adaptability wins matches.
He's also made some calls that took nerve. Sticking with a 34-year-old Casemiro despite public criticism — then watching him score the equaliser against Japan. Starting Danilo when many had written him off. Managing Neymar's minutes despite the crowd chanting for him the moment he started warming up. These aren't accidents. They're a coach who knows exactly what he's doing and doesn't need public validation to do it.
Vinicius, Neymar, and the End of Star Privilege
The most telling transformation has been Vinícius Júnior. Before Ancelotti, he had six goals in 39 Brazil appearances. Since Ancelotti took charge, he has seven in 13. That's not a coincidence — that's what happens when a generational talent is finally given a structure that suits him rather than being asked to orbit someone else's star.
That someone else is Neymar. Brazil's all-time top scorer arrived at this World Cup having last played for the national team in October 2023, and having missed time since mid-May with a muscle injury. By Ancelotti's own stated criteria — form and fitness over reputation — Neymar shouldn't have been there. The fact he is tells you something about the political weight of the decision. But the way Ancelotti has handled it tells you something about the coach. Neymar came on against Scotland, made little impact, and was left on the bench for Japan. No fanfare, no drama. The group over the individual.
"For Neymar to be there, he should behave like just another player and not as a special player with privileges, as he always has in the past," ESPN Brazil pundit Ze Elias said. Whether that message has actually landed remains the one lingering question.
Norway and Erling Haaland are next. Brazil's defensive structure, which has already been tested, will face something completely different — a physical, direct striker who punishes exactly the kind of high defensive line Brazil have been prone to playing. If Ancelotti gets that matchup wrong, the tournament ends. If he gets it right, the belief in the stands — where Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká, Roberto Carlos, and Dunga are watching every match — will become something close to certainty.
The Brazilian federation already extended his contract to 2030 in May. They're betting on the long game. Right now, so is everyone watching Brazil's odds tick upward with each match they survive.
