Ancelotti leans on experience as Brazil turn toward Norway test

Carlo Ancelotti has defended his credentials as Brazil manager, saying only Sir Alex Ferguson has prepared for more matches than he has. His response came after Brazil recovered from a 1-0 deficit against Japan to reach a World Cup round-of-16 meeting with Norway.

Brazil’s escape was built on Casemiro’s second-half equalizer and Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time winner, a result that brought praise for Ancelotti despite online doubts around his first national-team job. The coach pointed to more than 1,400 matches of preparation as evidence of his experience, while acknowledging that experience does not make him infallible.

The immediate challenge is Norway. Ancelotti described Brazil’s next opponent as physical, defensively organized and dangerous from set pieces, with Erling Haaland a major threat. Even so, he indicated Brazil will not assign one dedicated marker to Haaland, framing the defensive task as a collective responsibility.

Neymar’s role remains another key storyline. According to Ancelotti, the forward is now fit enough to play a full match if needed, though he is not satisfied with his limited minutes so far. Endrick and Douglas Santos also backed the manager’s influence, crediting him with bringing unity, calm and confidence to the squad.