Carlo Ancelotti, the new coach of Brazil's national soccer team, is super excited to take on this important job! He said he feels “honoured and proud” to lead what many believe is the best team in the world. His big goal? To win the 2026 World Cup!
At 65 years old, Ancelotti has a lot of experience in soccer. He was the manager of Real Madrid for four years, where he won the Champions League three times and the La Liga title twice. Before that, he helped AC Milan win the European championship two times, and he also had success with Chelsea, Paris St-Germain, and Bayern Munich, winning many titles in different countries.
Ancelotti knows he has a tough job ahead of him. He said, “I have a big job ahead of me. I’m delighted, the challenge is great.” He feels a special connection to the Brazilian team and is ready to work hard to make them champions again.
Brazil is famous for its soccer skills and has won the World Cup five times! The last time they won was in 2002. Ancelotti's first matches as coach will be two important games to qualify for the World Cup. They will play against Ecuador on June 5 and then face Paraguay in Sao Paulo five days later.
Ancelotti is taking over from Dorival Junior, who was let go after Brazil lost 4-1 to Argentina in March. This loss was really disappointing and part of a series of not-so-great results for the team.
Right now, Brazil is in fourth place in the South American World Cup qualifiers, and they need to finish in the top six to qualify for the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The team has been struggling since they were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup by Croatia in the quarter-finals. They have lost five out of their last 14 games and let in 16 goals.
With Ancelotti at the helm, fans are hopeful that Brazil can turn things around and get back to winning ways!