Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti says individual brilliance will not be enough to deliver a sixth World Cup title, with teamwork now essential to the national side’s hopes in 2026.
Brazil, five-time world champions, have not won the tournament since 2002. Ancelotti, who took charge in 2025, said the demands of international football had changed and that other nations had made significant progress.
“Winning the World Cup is very difficult, especially because football has changed and other national teams have made significant progress,” he said at a news conference before Brazil’s match against India in Kolkata.
“Until 2002, Brazil’s success was based primarily on exceptional individual talent. Now, I believe individual talent alone is no longer enough to win the World Cup.
“Football has evolved; it’s now more about teamwork. You must build an excellent, strong, and cohesive team around these talented players.”
Ancelotti said there were issues that could not be solved during his first year in charge but would need to be addressed ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
“I can only speak to what happens in 2026, since I arrived here in 2025,” he said. “As for 2026, I believe there are some issues we couldn’t resolve in one year that we need to address in the coming year.”
The international break has given Ancelotti more time to assess his squad, with FIFA combining the September and October windows. He said the extended period had allowed Brazil to hold more training sessions and work in greater detail on technical and tactical elements.
The arrangement has also reduced the travel burden on players and provided them with more time to recover before returning to their clubs.
“I think this has been a very valuable period,” said Ancelotti. “We’ve had the opportunity to spend more time with the players, conduct more training sessions, and focus more on technical and tactical aspects in training.
“For the players, this means less frequent travel, more recovery time, and they can return to their clubs in better physical condition. I believe FIFA’s decision to combine the September and October international breaks is excellent.”
With Raphinha unavailable, Ancelotti was asked whether Endrick or Pedro would lead the attack against India, and if he had already chosen his starter.
“I think you can answer that question yourself,” he replied.
Ancelotti described Endrick as a young player with “extraordinary talent”, technical ability, strength and explosiveness. Pedro, by contrast, was characterised as an experienced and highly skilled forward.
“To explain Pedro’s characteristics is quite simple: Pedro is a player who understands how to play football,” he said.
The coach also stressed that Brazil must retain the commitment, ability and enjoyment traditionally associated with the national team. He said the joy of playing was particularly important to Brazilian culture and should not be lost under the pressure of competition.
“Football is a sport and entertainmentyou should enjoy playing it,” Ancelotti said.
He ended by thanking India and its people for the welcome Brazil had received during their stay.
