Brazil had an underwhelming run on the 2026 World Cup regardless of having fun with a very good begin to the match. Carlo Ancelotti’s squad topped Group C with two wins and one draw and seemed set to be one of many favorites to carry the trophy.
A Spherical of 32 win towards Japan and the return of Neymar sparked extra confidence amongst followers, but it surely was Erling Haaland who performed spoil sport, scoring a brace within the Spherical of 16 towards the Selecao to knock them out, recording their earliest World Cup exit since 1990.
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Now, Ancelotti, who lately dedicated his future to the Brazil nationwide group, has opened up in regards to the match and what precisely led to their elimination.
Ancelotti Admits Mistake on Brazil’s World Cup Exit
Brazil acquired off to a poor begin towards Norway as Bruno Guimarães did not convert a first-half penalty. Nonetheless, the rating remained 0-0 at halftime earlier than Norway broke the impasse within the second half by way of Erling Haaland.
Ancelotti later took duty for the defeat, admitting {that a} miscalculation through the hydration break proved expensive and finally modified the course of the match.
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Neymar Jr through the FIFA World Cup 2026 Spherical of 16 match between Brazil and Norway.Photograph by Kaz Images/Getty Pictures
Speaking to ESPN, he mentioned, “I believe we misplaced the World Cup through the hydration break towards Norway.
“Why? As a result of, up till then, the group had been in management. That is the place my mistake could have been, considering the group had misplaced management of the match once they hadn’t,” Ancelotti mentioned.
“I made a couple of modifications to the group, after which we had the issue with Erling Haaland’s aim. After which, in a World Cup, if you concede a aim within the thirtieth minute [of the second half], it is very troublesome to come back again from that.”
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After falling behind, Brazil ceded possession and relied on quick transitions, ending with simply 34% possession, their lowest in a World Cup match since 1966.
The previous Chelsea supervisor, although, additionally gave credit score to Norway for his or her efficiency.
“It is also true that Norway had plenty of possession of their half. They performed the identical means towards England,” Ancelotti mentioned. “They managed the sport, they usually may’ve gained.”
This story was initially revealed by Athlon Sports activities on Jul 30, 2026, the place it first appeared within the Soccer part. Add Athlon Sports activities as a Most well-liked Supply by clicking right here.