"We will be world champions with him in 2026" - Barcelona legend Rivaldo names manager who should take over Brazil national team
Former Barcelona forward Rivaldo has urged Brazil to get a deal over the line to make Carlo Ancelotti their new head coach.
According to AS, the Selecao are keen on appointing Ancelotti as the permanent successor to Tite. He stepped down after Brazil's quarterfinal exit at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar against Croatia on penalties.
Brazil U20 coach Ramon Menezes is managing the senior team in an interim capacity. Speaking about Ancelotti's potential appointment as Brazil's manager, Rivaldo said (h/t @MadridXtra):
"Ancelotti to Brazil? It will be historic. I hope he will be our first foreign coach, and we will be world champions with him in 2026 (World Cup at Mexico, Canada and the USA)."
Rivaldo, who played for Barcelona between 1997 and 2002, was in the Brazil squad that lifted the World Cup for the fifth time (2002). They're the most decorated team in competition history.
That success, though, has faded in the past two decades. Brazil have been eliminated in the quarterfinals four times since they lifted the trophy at the Nissan Stadium in Japan.
They finished fourth at the 2014 World Cup on home soil, which was perhaps their most embarrassing display in the competition in recent history. Before the tournament, Brazil had only ever lost one World Cup game by more than two goals (3-0 loss against France in the 1998 final).
In 2014, though, they lost 7-1 in the semifinals against Germany before being beaten 3-0 by the Netherlands in the third-place play-off.
Former Barcelona star confirms Brazil's interest in Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti has one year left on his contract at Real Madrid, but it seems Brazil want to appoint him as soon as they possibly can.
Former Barcelona forward Neymar has now confirmed the national team's interest in Ancelotti. The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar told Brazilian cable television outlet BandSports (via AS):
"I know it’s the priority of the national team. The president wants to sign him, and, as players, we also want it to happen.
"For myself, for Vini, for Militão. We all know him. We know how amazing he is ... to have him in the team would be very important. But there is nothing confirmed as of yet. We hope that he comes after his contract ends."
Ancelotti began his career as a head coach when he took over the helm at Reggiana in 1995. Since then, he has won every major title the sport has had to offer, but he's yet to manage a national team.
The Italian's only involvement in a managerial capacity of an international team came from 1992 to 1995, when he was Italy's assistant manager.