Ancelotti relishes ‘beautiful moment’ as Brazil aim for sixth crown

Carlo Ancelotti has described his first appearance on the World Cup touchline as a “beautiful moment” as he prepares to guide Brazil into their opening clash against Morocco in New Jersey on Saturday.

The Italian coach, who has won league titles across Italy, England, France, Germany and Spain during a glittering career at clubs including AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, has now stepped into international football for the first time after taking charge of Brazil in May 2025.

“It’s a new experience for me,” Ancelotti said at his pre-match press conference. “It carries a lot of responsibility. It’s an honour to represent the country of football and the most decorated national team in the world.”

Brazil head into the tournament chasing a record-extending sixth World Cup title, with their last triumph coming in 2002. However, recent campaigns have fallen short, with the Selecao failing to reach the semi-finals in four of their last five attempts.

Still, Ancelotti remains confident in his squad’s ability to compete at the highest level.

“This is a team which can compete with anyone,” he said, adding that Neymar is expected to return to training next week. “We have technical quality and experience, and we are absolutely confident we can face any team.”

“We have a good feeling about this World Cup. At this point there is no clear favourite. Several teams will have the opportunity to compete all the way to the end.”

Star winger Vinícius Júnior also backed Brazil’s chances, insisting the squad are determined to bring the trophy back home.

“We’re coming in to be the winners,” he said. “We’re at the same level as the other major teams. We’ve got great players and we’ve improved over the last few months.”

“We’re here to change history and put Brazil back where it belongs — at the top. I’m not here to be the best player in the tournament, I’m here to help Brazil win.”

Brazil, five-time champions, will look to top Group C, which also includes Scotland and Haiti.