Brazil appoint Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti ahead of 2026 World Cup

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will leave the Spanish giants to take charge of the Brazil national team, as announced by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) on Monday. The 65-year-old Italian, who will become Brazil’s first full-time foreign head coach in almost 100 years, is set to assume the role on May 26, following the conclusion of the Spanish league season.

CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues hailed the appointment as a transformative step for Brazilian football.

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“Bringing Carlo Ancelotti to coach Brazil is more than a strategic move. It is a statement to the world that we are determined to return to the top of the podium. He is the greatest coach in history and now he will lead the greatest national team on the planet. Together, we will write new glorious chapters of Brazilian football,” Rodrigues declared.

Ancelotti's first assignments with Brazil will be World Cup qualifiers: against Ecuador on June 5 and Paraguay on June 10, both scheduled in São Paulo.

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Though his contract with Real Madrid was set to run until 2026, it is now expected to conclude prematurely. Neither Ancelotti nor Real Madrid have commented publicly on the CBF's announcement.

He will succeed Dorival Júnior, who was sacked in March after a disappointing 14-month stint, capped by a 4-1 loss to arch-rivals Argentina. Brazil currently sit fourth in the World Cup qualifying standings, while their star player Neymar continues his recovery from an ACL injury sustained in 2023.

The decision comes amid a turbulent period for Real Madrid, who failed to retain their European title and were recently knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal. They also suffered a 4-3 loss to Barcelona, who lifted the Copa del Rey, and now trail them by seven points in La Liga.



Since Tite’s departure after the 2022 World Cup, Brazil’s coaching position has seen instability. Interim managers Ramon Menezes (U-20 coach) and Fernando Diniz (Fluminense) struggled to deliver results, eventually leading to Dorival’s appointment and subsequent dismissal.

Jorge Jesus, the 70-year-old Portuguese coach of Al-Hilal, was reportedly in contention until Madrid’s Champions League exit accelerated talks with Ancelotti. Reports also indicate Neymar's father influenced the federation’s decision to avoid appointing Jesus, who previously coached Neymar in Saudi Arabia.

Ancelotti will be taking on his first full-time international management role, though he has experience at this level, having served as assistant to Arrigo Sacchi during Italy’s 1994 World Cup campaign which ended in a penalty shootout loss to Brazil in the final.

His decorated managerial career began in 1995 with Reggiana, following an illustrious playing spell with Roma and AC Milan. Ancelotti has since coached elite clubs across Europe including AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid, and has claimed five UEFA Champions League titles: two with Milan and three with Madrid.



Ancelotti now joins a rare group of foreign coaches to lead Brazil. Uruguayan Ramón Platero briefly coached the team in 1925, while Portuguese Jorge Gomes de Lima shared duties with Flávio Costa in 1944. Argentine Filpo Núñez also managed Brazil for a single match in 1965.

With Ancelotti’s departure imminent, former Madrid star Xabi Alonso is widely tipped to replace him at the helm. Alonso recently guided Bayer Leverkusen to a historic German league and cup double.

Before his departure, Ancelotti still has one more title in sight, the Club World Cup as he aims to leave Real Madrid on a high.