Ancelotti insists Brazil's World Cup exit is just the start

Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out stepping down as Brazil’s head coach despite the team’s 2‑1 round‑of‑16 loss to Norway at the World Cup, insisting the defeat is the beginning of a new era for the Seleção. The Italian, speaking at the post‑match press conference, said he will remain in charge. Brazil appeared poised to reach the quarter‑finals until Erling Haaland struck twice in the closing minutes of extra time. A late penalty converted by Neymar deep in injury time arrived too late to force a replay. "Everyone is enormously disappointed," Ancelotti said after the match. "We did not play a spectacular World Cup, but we played a good one, and we even deserved to win this game," he added.

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Ancelotti highlighted Bruno Guimarães’s missed penalty in the early stages as a pivotal moment. "You must process a defeat like this; it has been a new adventure, and we must keep proving we belong and keep improving," he explained. The 67‑year‑old was appointed just over a year ago with the aim of guiding Brazil to a sixth World Cup title. He confirmed he is not considering leaving, noting his contract runs through the 2030 World Cup. "I do not think this is the end; it is the start of a new cycle," Ancelotti asserted. "With the squad we have, Brazil could have made it to the end of this World Cup, even judging by how the match unfolded," he concluded.