World Cup: Don Carlo, been there and done that, braces for his toughest test
A responsibility and honour, Ancelotti says about guiding the Selecao in their pursuit of Hexa
When Carlos Ancelotti embarked on his maiden World Cup journey in the US, a reel where his two adorable grandchildren wish him on his toughest assignment yet had gone quite viral. At 67 years and after having won almost everything that club football can offer as a coach, it would have been befitting for ‘Don Carlo,’ as he is often referred to, to enjoy the perks of a well-earned retired life of great opulence.
However, the tough-as-nails Italian decided to accept a challenge in May 2025 which many of his ilk wouldn’t dare – that of becoming the first-ever foreigner coach to guide the Selecao boys’ fortunes in the World Cup. All their five World Cup winning managers so far have been Brazilians: Vincent Fiola (1958), Aymore Moreira (1962), Mario Zagallo (1970), Carlos Alberto Parreira (1994) and Luiz Felipe Scolari (2002) and it’s going to be a daunting task for Ancelotti to aim for the Hexa with an undercooked team.
‘’It’s a new experience, but obviously a special one,’’ Ancelotti said at a choc-a-bloc first media conference in New Jersey on Friday. ‘’It means having the responsibility and the honour of representing the home of football, the most successful national team in the world. Two things: responsibility and honour.’’
Ancelotti said he wanted to embrace the occasion rather than be swallowed by it. ‘’I want to savour this moment with joy and happiness because it is a wonderful moment in my story,’’ he said. ‘’I feel great... I hope I can do the work needed to help this team succeed.’’
No wonder, he is easily the most talked about and charismatic manager among the 48 in fray – despite being a newcomer as far as coaching national teams is concerned. The past one year hasn’t really produced a magical transformation in the performance of the Samba Boys, who qualified as the fifth team from the South American zone and would have had to suffer the ignominy of featuring in play-offs for a ticket to the US but for an increase in quotas for all continents. This has, however, not deterred him from putting up a brave face as they launch their campaign against Morocco – the surprise semi-finalists of Qatar 2022 – in the wee hours of Sunday (3.30 am IST).
The canny customer he is, Ancelotti attempted to diffuse the pressure on his boys when he said there would be nothing wrong in case of any signs of nerves. ‘’Fear is an important part of life,’’ said the man with five UEFA Champions League titles lined up on his shelves alongwith all five league titles of Europe. While five Champions Leagues came as a coach, he had won two European Cups in a player’s capacity as well for AC Milan in 1989 and ’90 – leaving aside multiple World Club Cups and Super Cups as a coach.
The fear which Ancelotti talks about is not the psychosis, but the tactical alertness as the first match of a major tournament like the World Cup will always be difficult. The expectations of the Brazilian people, who comprise of nearly one seventh of the global population, of their national football team is scary as they want their team to win every match they play. Any defensive thinking is perceived as negative tactics and an anti-thesis of the beautiful game – or jogo bonito - that King Pele had once espoused.
However, the demands of the modern game call for a more pragmatic approach – and who better than Ancelotti to deploy it in the middle against a Morocco side – comprising of several proven customers in European leagues. Ancelotti has already taken a calculated gamble by naming the 34-year-old Neymar in his final squad despite the mercurial forward still recovering from a severe calf strain. ‘’We called him up not only for his football ability, which is indisputable, but also for the experience and example he can give to the younger players in the group.’’
He will not be available for the Morocco game but according to the coach, Neymar will start training next week. The enigmatic Vinicius junior is hence expected to play the leader alongside the likes of Raphinha, Marquinhos and Casemiro. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!