Four years ago, Brazil were edged out by Croatia in the World Cup quarter-finals; four years before that, they fell to Belgium at the same stage. This time they didn’t even make it that far—and their defeat to Norway was fully deserved.
In short, it’s a calamity.
Carlo Ancelotti took over after a 4-1 drubbing by Argentina in March last year. Since then he has overseen 16 matches, winning 10, drawing three and losing three, and he steadied a team that had dropped four of five qualifiers before he arrived. But it still wasn’t enough.
Brazil now require a major overhaul—beginning in midfield, once the nation’s hallmark of flair and ingenuity. Turning away from creative central play has cost them admirers and, increasingly, results. Being thoroughly outpassed by Norway on a warm World Cup afternoon was staggering, but it reflected the team’s construction.
Ancelotti hitched his plan to Casemiro, recalling him after an 18-month absence. There were upsides: Casemiro provided structure and liberated Bruno Guimarães, who was having an excellent tournament until his early missed penalty against Norway—an intervention that might have changed everything. Yet Casemiro’s vulnerability in open spaces was evident from the second minute, when Norway had a goal ruled out, and Brazil’s response was to drop deep, conceding possession and confidence to their opponents.
The loss of Lucas Paquetá, injured in the previous round against Japan, compounded the issue. Ancelotti admitted there was no like-for-like replacement. Gabriel Martinelli stepped in, which left the attack heavily reliant on fast, direct counters.
Selection missteps also played a part. Naming only five midfielders was a serious oversight, and when right-back Wesley was injured in the final warm-up, Ancelotti used the vacancy to call up Ederson rather than another midfielder. The coach bears responsibility—but so, too, does the broader Brazilian setup.