Brasília - Saba:
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced on Monday the appointment of Italian Carlo Ancelotti, the current head coach of Real Madrid, as the new manager of the Seleção until the 2026 World Cup.
Ancelotti (65), who has not yet commented on his new role, will become the first permanent foreign coach of the Brazilian national team in a century.
Ancelotti is currently under contract with Real Madrid until the final matchday of La Liga on May 25. The CBF confirmed that he will take charge of the Seleção immediately the following day.
Brazil will face Ecuador on June 5 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, followed by a match against Paraguay in São Paulo five days later.
Despite Ancelotti’s successful tenure at Real Madrid, where he secured multiple domestic and continental titles, this season has seen a significant decline in the team’s performance. A 4-3 defeat to rivals Barcelona in El Clásico (Matchday 35 of La Liga) effectively ended Los Blancos' hopes of winning the league title.
This marked Ancelotti’s fourth consecutive loss against Barcelona, fueling speculation about his departure—especially as Real Madrid failed to secure any major trophies this season except for the UEFA Super Cup.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso, former Real Madrid star and current coach of Bayer Leverkusen, has emerged as the strongest candidate to succeed Ancelotti. Alonso recently confirmed his departure from the German club after leading them to a historic Bundesliga title last season and achieving remarkable results this campaign.
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