What Ancelotti Got Right Off the Pitch — and What He Still Needs to Fix On It
Tim Vickery argues that Ancelotti has managed his messaging well since the defeat to Norway — but the pitch is still waiting for answers from the Italian coach.
Carlo Ancelotti knows how to talk. That has never been in doubt. Since returning to Brazil, the Italian coach has been calibrating his tone with precision — in his dealings with the press, the fans, and the CBF. Even his decision to head to Canada after the World Cup elimination came with a palatable explanation: the need to reflect in an environment he knows well.
But columnist Tim Vickery, writing for Trivela, cuts straight to the point: Brazil's problems cannot be solved with good communication. The defeat to Norway is being handled carefully by the manager — Vickery acknowledges that — but the question hanging in the air is whether the bandage is covering a deeper wound.
The Golmetria model, for its part, reflects exactly that uncertainty. Brazil shows a zero-percent probability of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals — a number that, whatever the context of the tournament, says a great deal about where the national team stands in analytical terms right now.
On the market, the American odds of +850 imply a title probability of around 8.7% — a far cry from the historical favouritism Brazil has always carried.
Ancelotti has the political capital. He has the dressing-room's respect. He has the polished message. What he still needs to prove is that he can turn all of that into results on the pitch — because the sixth star is not won at a press conference.
The 2026 World Cup is coming. And Brazil needs real answers before the questions become too big to ignore.