Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti called for a new cycle after their 2026 FIFA World Cup exit, following a 2-1 defeat to Norway in the Round of 16, www.aclsports.com reports.
Brazil were left to rue missed chances, including a penalty, before Erling Haaland scored twice to put Norway in control. Neymar converted a late penalty, but it was only a consolation as the Scandinavians advanced to the quarter-finals.
Despite the defeat, Ancelotti insisted Brazil showed enough to suggest progress and said the result should mark the start of a rebuild.
“We’re all deeply disappointed,” he said. “I don’t think we had a spectacular World Cup, but I believe we had a good tournament. At certain moments today, I thought we deserved to win. You have to accept defeats like this, but I don’t see it as the end. It’s the beginning of a new chapter. We have to keep working, improve and look for new ideas.”
He said Brazil started well but failed to maintain control after the break.
“In the first half we created a lot of opportunities and things were going according to plan. Even early in the second half at 0-0, we created some good chances. Then the momentum changed. We tried to push higher to get back into the game, but we couldn’t find the equaliser.”
Ancelotti also defended his tactical approach, saying Norway’s deep defensive block made pressing high difficult.
“We knew how Norway would play. They tried to slow the game down through possession, and we didn’t want to press high because it would have been too risky. For 70 minutes, I thought the match was under control. Then Haaland made the difference.”
The 67-year-old backed his substitutions, including the introductions of Neymar and Endrick as Brazil searched for a way into the contest.
“Endrick came on to give us more depth, and then we brought on Neymar to add more quality in the final third. We also introduced fresh legs in midfield when Bruno Guimarães became tired.”
On Brazil’s penalty decision after Vinícius Júnior did not step up, Ancelotti said it was based on detailed analysis carried out by his coaching staff.
“We studied the statistics over the past year. Our order was Neymar, Igor Thiago, then Raphinha, followed by Bruno Guimarães and Gabriel Martinelli. Since Neymar and Raphinha were unavailable at that moment, we believed Bruno was the best option.”
Ancelotti remained focused on the work ahead rather than public opinion when asked about possible fan reaction after his first major tournament in charge.
“I don’t know,” he said. “What I can say is that we are going to continue doing our jobs, keep working for the national team, keep trying to improve and keep looking for new ideas, the same things we have done throughout this year.”
“I think we have done solid work. But that’s football. Sometimes you have to deal with disappointment and the bitterness of defeat. We will deal with it, learn from it and use this defeat as fuel for the next cycle.”
Looking ahead to the 2030 World Cup cycle, Ancelotti acknowledged that changes will be needed, particularly in midfield.
“We have to think carefully about the future. It’s clear we need some adjustments in midfield. We need young, high-quality players to emerge and strengthen the national team.”
