What does the Brazilian national team have to offer to dream of winning the 2026 World Cup?

TPO - Brazil's greatest hope of ending their 24-year World Cup title drought rests on the tactical prowess of coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Carlo Ancelotti, one of the most successful coaches of his generation, left Real Madrid to take over the Brazilian national team last year. This is a rare case of a foreign coach leading the Selecao. Despite initial inconsistent results with 5 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws, the nation remains optimistic that he can elevate a squad considered to have fewer stars compared to Brazil's iconic past generations, despite the presence of big names like Neymar and Vinicius Junior.

Brazil has won the World Cup five times, a better record than any other team, but they haven't lifted the trophy since 2002. That's an endlessly long time for a football-obsessed nation that has produced some of the greatest players in history, such as Pele, Garrincha, Ronaldo de Lima, and Ronaldinho.

Since 2002, they have only advanced beyond the quarter-finals once, when they hosted the 2014 World Cup. Even that tournament ended in utter disappointment after a humiliating 1-7 defeat in the semi-finals against eventual champions Germany. Brazil's confidence has also been somewhat shaken by the success of their arch-rivals Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions and successful Copa America defenders.

"We have the right to believe," Ancelotti asserted in a World Cup-themed advertising campaign, as a way of acknowledging the self-doubt that is creeping into the nation's football mentality.

Brazilians are excited about Neymar's participation in the 2026 World Cup.

Overwhelmed with joy as Neymar returns to the national team.

Brazil will begin their World Cup campaign at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on June 13, facing Morocco, who reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup. Their other opponents in Group C are Haiti and Scotland.

Advancing from the group stage is a given for Brazil; any other result would be a disaster in a World Cup that has expanded from 32 to 48 teams. However, how far Brazil can go when facing stronger opponents in the knockout rounds remains a big question mark.

"I am well aware and confident that this team can compete with the best teams in the world . Can we win the World Cup and reach the final? Yes, we can reach the final. But I don't know if that's enough; ideally, we should go all the way to the end and win the final," Ancelotti shared on May 18th.

One of the biggest challenges facing Ancelotti is resolving Neymar's issues. The 34-year-old striker was once Brazil's brightest star until he moved to the money-heavy Saudi Arabian league in 2023. He has played virtually no game there due to a series of knee injuries, and last year returned to his childhood club Santos in Brazil, where he continued to struggle with even more injuries.

Ancelotti still included Neymar in the 2026 World Cup squad despite fitness concerns, calling him a "key player" for the team. Barcelona winger Raphinha also considers Neymar a crucial element, and recently described him as "the man who will bring us our sixth World Cup title."

If that happens, it will come from a more structured and organized style of play, rather than the free-flowing, flamboyant style that has defined Brazil's place on the global football map.

Renowned as a tactical master, Ancelotti transformed Brazil into a team willing to sit deep and wait for attacking opportunities, rather than trying to impose possession. He often favored a compact 4-4-2 formation, which could quickly switch to an attacking 4-2-4.

Coach Ancelotti brings hope to the Selecao.

Brazilians have absolute faith in Ancelotti.

Overall, Brazilian fans are pleased with Ancelotti, although his record so far hasn't been entirely consistent. Since he took over, Brazil has won two World Cup qualifying matches, drawn one, and lost one, finishing fifth overall in the South American qualifying group behind Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, and Uruguay.

In more recent friendly matches, Brazil defeated Croatia, the team that eliminated them from the 2022 World Cup after a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals, but lost to 2022 World Cup runners-up France.

Former Brazil left-back Filipe Luis, who recently began his coaching career, called Ancelotti "the best thing that has ever happened" with the Brazilian national team in April.

"There's no guarantee we'll win every title," he shared. "But we need a figure of stature, someone with enough backing to make decisions, and that's Ancelotti. A man everyone respects, someone who understands that Brazil has spent years living in doubt because they couldn't win the World Cup."

Ancelotti took over the national team after a turbulent period for Brazilian football. The team struggled immensely in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, losing twice to Argentina, and being eliminated by Uruguay in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Copa America. Three coaches have come and gone. Interim coaches Ramon Menezes, Fernando Diniz, and permanent coach Dorival Junior were all sacked after a series of poor results and a wave of criticism from fans.

Meanwhile, Brazil remains persistent in pursuing Ancelotti, whose second stint at Real Madrid seems to be coming to an end, despite having led the team to both the Champions League and La Liga titles in 2024. The Brazilian Football Confederation is so confident that they have made the right choice that they have extended Ancelotti's contract until the 2030 World Cup.

"We have a 'genius' leading the national team, someone who is respected by everyone. This World Cup is an opportunity for us to build on that foundation," Luis affirmed.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tuyen-brazil-co-gi-de-mo-mong-vo-dich-world-cup-2026-post1846357.tpo