On July 5, the 1-2 defeat against Norway in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup ended Brazil’s championship dream and pushed coach Carlo Ancelotti into the center of a storm of criticism.
Ancelotti was expected to help the “Selecao” end their 24-year-long World Cup championship drought. However, under his leadership, Brazil disappointed by bowing out right in the round of 16 after the defeat to Erling Haaland’s Norway.
After the match, Ancelotti affirmed that he had no intention of resigning. “We must continue to work, improve, and find new ideas. I believe this defeat is not the end, but the beginning of a new cycle,” the 67-year-old manager stated.
However, the above statement could not soothe the anger of Brazilian fans. On the social network X, a series of fans demanded that the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) terminate the contract with Ancelotti.
One account wrote: “We must fire him”. Another was more severe: “Ancelotti must bear full responsibility”. There was even an opinion suggesting: “If he still has self-respect, he should resign today”.
Alongside the criticism, the name mentioned most by fans was Pep Guardiola. Not a few fans constantly called for the Spanish strategist to take over the coaching bench. “Please invite Pep Guardiola, it’s still not too late” or “Pep Guardiola is the choice for World Cup 2030″… was the common reaction of fans.
In fact, Guardiola was a candidate for the Brazil head coach seat before the CBF appointed Ancelotti last year. After parting ways with Man City, Guardiola has not accepted a new job. However, he is highly likely to rest for a while instead of immediately returning to the coaching bench.
