Carlo Ancelotti is one of the most renowned coaches in Europe and can look back on countless successes in European club football. After stints at AC Milan, Juventus Turin, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and other top European clubs, the “Signore” took over as head coach of the Brazilian national team for the World Cup in North America.
The Italian is celebrating his debut at the 2026 World Cup. Ancelotti is known for his defensive structure, composure and the ability to integrate and orchestrate star players. A circumstance that, despite the fluctuating performance in qualifying, is responsible for the Seleção still being one of the favorites for the final of the World Cup.
Ancelotti has Brazil playing predominantly in a 4-3-3 system that is defensively compact and flexible in possession. In this system, the wingers act wide to create space. A six-man keeps the balance, two attacking midfielders bring creativity into the game.
The defense should remain calm, especially during pressing phases, in order to avoid mistakes in the build-up. This hasn’t always worked in the end. Under Ancelotti, the focus is less on spectacular offensive football than on efficient control of the game, stable defense and targeted moments of transition.
Brazil is the only team to have appeared in every World Cup finals since 1930. The Seleção won the World Cup five times – more than any other nation. Since the triumph in 2002, however, they have not been able to reach the final again; Brazil already failed in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup.
Seleção means “choice” or “selection” in Portuguese. The term is also used for other national teams from the Portuguese-speaking area.