Ancelotti on leading Brazil at World Cup: “An honour and duty”
· Yahoo Sports
Carlo Ancelotti gave a press conference on the eve of his debut at the 2026 World CupCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF
Coach Carlo Ancelotti did not hide his joy at being able to lead the Brazilian National Team in a World Cup. At a press conference on Friday afternoon (12), on the eve of the team’s debut in the tournament against Morocco, he said he will enjoy this opportunity with “joy and happiness.”
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“It is a new experience, but obviously something special. It means having the responsibility and the honor of representing the country of football, the most decorated national team in the world. Two things: responsibility and honor. I want to enjoy this moment with joy and happiness because it is a very beautiful moment in my history,” he celebrated in the interview held at the MetLife Stadium complex.
Brazil will seek its first three points against the fourth-place finisher at the last World Cup. For Ancelotti, the team will have to be attentive in every phase of the game to beat a “very well-prepared and strong team.”
“Morocco is a very well-organized team, with quality in every aspect. We have to play a complete match; we cannot forget any of that, defensively, offensively, or in transition. Keep a close eye on our defensive level, be strong on set pieces because we have quality there. In modern football, there are no small teams. Morocco is one of the best teams in Africa, (...) it is a very well-prepared and strong team,” he said.
Carlo Ancelotti gave a press conference on the eve of his debut at the 2026 World CupCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF
Since Ancelotti announced the 26 players called up for the tournament, the list has undergone only one change. Right-back Wesley, who was injured in the first half of the win over Egypt, was replaced by midfielder Éderson Silva. The Italian lamented Wesley’s withdrawal and explained the choice of Éderson.
“Dropping a player is one aspect of my job that I do not like because it is very sad, but there was no other solution. He suffered a fairly serious injury and would not recover in time for this World Cup,” the coach lamented.
“We brought in Éderson because the doubt when choosing the 26 was whether to call up nine or eight defenders and six midfielders. We chose nine defenders, but I think Danilo and Ibañez give us confidence in that position, so we preferred to strengthen the midfield a little with Éderson, who had a very good end to the season,” he added.
Brazil and Morocco will face each other at 7 p.m. Brasília time this Saturday (13) at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, United States. The match, valid for the first round of Group C, will be broadcast live by Globo and SBT (free-to-air TV), sportv and N Sports (pay TV), Ge TV (via Globoplay), and CazéTV (YouTube).
Carlo Ancelotti gave a press conference on the eve of his debut at the 2026 World CupCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF
Solidarity with Brito’s family
Before ending the press conference, Carlo Ancelotti expressed his solidarity with the family of former center-back and one of the heroes of Brazil’s 1970 World Cup-winning team, Brito, who passed away on Thursday (11).
"(I want to) send a hug to the family of this fantastic legend of Brazilian football, who won the 1970 World Cup. We send our regards from the CBF to his entire family," he said.
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