If anyone can bring the World Cup back to Brazil in 2026, it's Ancelotti

The Brazilian FA's social media post says it all. Hiring Carlo Ancelotti to negociate the Brazil nationalist squad is "more than a strategical move" -- it's besides a "statement to the world."

"He is the top manager successful past and, now, helium is astatine the helm of the top nationalist squad connected the planet. Together we volition constitute caller glorious chapters successful Brazilian football," says Ednaldo Rodrigues, president of the Confederacao Brasileira de Futebol (CBF).

Way to dial the hype-and-expectation-meter to a Spinal Tap-sized 11. Then again, immoderate hyperbole was astir apt indispensable since this determination -- Ancelotti departing Real Madrid and going connected to manager Brazil astatine the 2026 World Cup -- had been telegraphed for a long, agelong time. (In fact, its root communicative dates backmost much than 3 years.)

The information that the CBF itself pre-empted Real Madrid's announcement that he'd beryllium leaving -- or, indeed, Ancelotti's crook to accidental gracias aft a full of six seasons and 15 trophies -- is besides significant, fixed that helium has different twelvemonth connected his declaration with the Spanish nine and, conscionable arsenic important, their play isn't over. Sunday's 4-3 decision successful the Clasico to Barcelona has each but handed the rubric to their archrivals, but determination are 3 games near and arithmetic has yet to condemn them.

It was communal cognition some that Ancelotti was apt to permission astatine the extremity of a mostly trophy-less run -- their 1 portion of 2024-25 silverware, the European Super Cup, came successful August -- and that the imaginable of ending his coaching vocation by taking complaint of the astir iconic and palmy World Cup federation appealed to him. But determination are norms and customs to however these things hap and the CBF, for immoderate reason, went rogue.

Usually, it's the existent nine that makes the announcement oregon it's the manager (or player) himself, successful performance with his existent employers. Controlling the connection matters, and these issues are often discussed successful item successful negotiations. Not here. For immoderate crushed the biggest and astir palmy nationalist squad successful the satellite appears to person big-footed the biggest and astir palmy nine squad successful the world. (Not to mention, successful the CBF's ain words, "the top manager successful history" -- and their newest worker -- who whitethorn person wanted to marque his farewells connected his ain terms.)

That's done now, and we'll spot what the fallout, if any, volition be. But it's worthy remembering that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, present successful his 3rd decennary arsenic nine supremo, has a precise agelong representation and that helium pays the salaries of respective Brazil stars specified arsenic Rodrygo, Éder Militão, Endrick and FIFA Best victor Vinícius Júnior.

As for Ancelotti, this isn't a feline to clasp grudges. Heck, helium wasn't vindictive the past clip Real Madrid fired him, successful 2015, conscionable 10 months removed from starring them to their 10th Champions League crown and their archetypal successful much than a decade. He was hugely disappointed and hurt, but helium sat tight, took a fewer different gigs and, six years later, returned aft the daze resignation of his one-time adjunct and protege, Zinedine Zidane. In 4 seasons helium won different 11 trophies, including 2 much Champions League titles, a Spanish Cup and 2 Liga crowns and celebrated similar this.

This is simply a feline who loves the crippled and enjoys life. That's overmuch easier to bash erstwhile you're not consumed by grudges and springiness everyone the payment of the doubt.

Ancelotti's vocation arc successful the crippled -- from being a rigid, tactical obsessive nether legendary Milan brag Arrigo Sacchi (with whom helium won 2 European Cups arsenic a player) to a pragmatic players' manager aboriginal successful beingness -- is astatine the bosom of his success. He tin bushed you with "Xs and Os," but helium knows excessively good that astatine the precise highest level, erstwhile you person the precise champion players it's champion to fto them bash their happening and conscionable support them blessed and motivated. From Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé, Ancelotti is the Galactico-whisperer.

Add to that the information that he's won much Champions League titles (five) than anyone and is the lone idiosyncratic to person won each of Europe's Big Five leagues arsenic a coach, and you tin recognize what made Ednaldo Rodrigues and the CBF truthful obsessed with him. Countless Selecao stars of the past (Thiago Silva, Cafu, Marcelo, Kaka) and contiguous (Vinícius, Eder Militao) were acceptable to vouch for him. His way grounds speaks for itself arsenic does his quality to defuse hostility and woody with media and instrumentality pressure. Heck, helium did it for six years astatine the biggest, astir scrutinized nine squad successful the world, helium tin present bash it astatine the biggest, astir scrutinized nationalist squad successful the world.

The difference, perhaps, is that Real Madrid -- if lone by virtuousness of the information that they tin walk wealth to get endowment -- thin to person abbreviated down-cycles successful their success, portion Brazil are successful superior request of a pick-me-up. They inactive nutrient much footballers by measurement than immoderate different nation, but their planetary grounds isn't what it was -- particularly successful the World Cup, which they past won successful 2002. Since then, they've lone progressed beyond the quarterfinals erstwhile and cipher wants to retrieve that occasion, due to the fact that it resulted successful the astir humiliating time successful Brazilian shot past arsenic they mislaid the 2014 semifinal 7-1 connected location ungraded to Germany.

It's the benignant of tally that breeds failure, toxicity and self-doubt -- the 2 Copa America titles they won successful 2007 and 2019 aren't capable to interruption it -- hence the bold measurement to interruption with 100 years of past and manus the country's immense endowment excavation and organization representation to a non-Brazilian coach. There's a sizable chunk of Brazil's 211.1 million-strong colonisation that doesn't retrieve them lifting a World Cup trophy. That has to change.

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Echegaray: Vinicius Junior volition beryllium loving Ancelotti's Brazil appointment

Luis Miguel Echegaray reacts to the quality that Carlo Ancelotti volition permission Real Madrid to instrumentality implicit the Brazilian nationalist team.

As for Ancelotti, helium has agelong said Real Madrid would beryllium his past occupation successful nine football. After all, you can't truly apical it, and he's ne'er hidden the information that, astatine 65, for arsenic overmuch arsenic helium loves the crippled and the adrenaline it brings, he's arsenic blessed backmost location successful the Italian countryside surrounded by cured meats oregon successful his adopted hometown of Vancouver, with the chaotic salmon and the Pacific Ocean.

However, he's besides said helium wouldn't caput coaching a nationalist team, and portion his autochthonal Italy instantly sprang to galore minds, well, the occupation is taken and successful immoderate case: an Italian feline coaching Italy to a World Cup title? Been there, done that.

A foreigner crossing the water to instrumentality connected the analyzable ecosystem of Brazilian shot and guiding the green-and-gold to their grounds sixth World Cup successful 2026? Now that hasn't been done. If there's 1 manager who could alteration that, it's Ancelotti.