Brazil signs Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti one year before 2026 World Cup

Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti reacts during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

SAO PAULO — Coach Carlo Ancelotti will leave Real Madrid and take over Brazil through the 2026 World Cup.

The Italian — Brazil’s first full-time foreign coach in a century — will officially take charge on May 25 after La Liga ends, the Brazilian Football Confederation said on Monday.

“Bringing Carlo Ancelotti to coach Brazil is more than a strategic movement. It is a statement to the world that we are determined to recover the top of the podium,” CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues said. “He is the greatest coach in history and, now, he will be with the greatest national team on the planet. Together, we will write new glorious chapters of Brazilian soccer.”

There was no immediate comment on the move from Ancelotti or Real Madrid.

The CBF added that “Ancelotti starts his mission this week” in meetings with coordinator-general Rodrigo Caetano and former defender Juan, the confederation technical coordinator, so he can pick his squad for the next World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June.

Ancelotti is expected to announce the squad himself in Rio de Janeiro on May 26, the CBF said.

Brazil — a five-time world champion — was under pressure to sign a new coach who could revitalize the team, which is in fourth place in South American qualifying for the World Cup. Neymar is struggling to return to top form after an ACL injury in 2023. The top six teams secure direct spots to the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Ancelotti, 65, will replace Dorival Júnior, who was the coach for 14 months and was fired in March after a 4-1 defeat to archrival Argentina.

Ancelotti’s contract with Madrid ends next year but Rodrigues said its expected to be terminated early. The CBF president said in a video he wanted to thank Real Madrid president Florentino Perez “for the comprehension, dialogue and support that made this transaction possible.”

Former Madrid player Xabi Alonso is widely expected to replace Ancelotti at Real Madrid after he confirmed his departure from Bayer Leverkusen.

Real Madrid’s first competition after La Liga is the Club World Cup in the United States, which starts on June 14.

Ancelotti’s future in Madrid had been in question in a mediocre season by the club’s standards. Defending champion Real Madrid exited the Champions League in the quarterfinals and has lost all four games to rival Barcelona this season, including the Copa del Rey final and the league clasico on Sunday that left the Catalan team on the verge of securing the Liga title.

Brazil’s wait

Ancelotti’s signing ends a turbulent time on Brazil’s bench since Tite left after the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals elimination against Croatia. Under-20 coach Ramon Menezes and Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz took charge for several matches as Rodrigues sought Ancelotti to take over.

Menezes and Diniz both fared poorly, and Ancelotti extended his deal with Madrid during that span. Dorival Júnior was chosen in 2024 to take the team to the World Cup, but he was also fired after the same lack of success.

Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus, a 70-year-old Portuguese who won several titles with Brazil’s Flamengo in 2019, was the favorite to take the Brazil job until Madrid was knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal in April. Local media also reported that Neymar’s father and agent had a role in stopping his son’s former coach in Saudi Arabia from taking over.

“I want to express my profound gratitude for your patience and support throughout this process,” Rodrigues added in his video for Brazil fans.

A first for Ancelotti

Brazil will be Ancelotti’s first international experience as a full-time coach. He was an assistant to Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi in the 1994 World Cup.

As a player, Ancelotti won Serie A titles with Roma and AC Milan and two European titles with the latter as a creative midfielder. His last professional match was in 1992 against Brazil, playing for AC Milan. The match, which was also a celebration for the host winning that season’s Serie A title, was won by Brazil 1-0 with a goal by Careca.

Ancelotti started his full-time coaching career in 1995 at Italy’s Reggiana.

He’s also coached Parma, Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton — winning titles in Italy, England, Spain, France and Germany.

He led Milan to the Champions League trophy in 2003 and 2007 and added three more titles with Real Madrid in 2014, 2022 and last year.

It is highly unusual for Brazil to be led by a foreign coach. Uruguayan Ramón Platero coached Brazil in the 1925 South American championship, the predecessor of the Copa America, holding the job for just 19 days and four matches.

Portuguese coach Jorge Gomes de Lima, known as Joreca, co-led Brazil with Brazilian Flavio Costa in two friendly victories over Uruguay in 1944. And in 1965, Argentine Filpo Nuñez coached Brazil for one day. Nuñez was Palmeiras’ coach, and Brazil officials chose the Sao Paulo-based club to play with national team shirts in a friendly against Uruguay at the opening of Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte.

Ancelotti will be the second man to coach Real Madrid and Brazil. Vanderlei Luxemburgo worked with Brazil from 1998-99 and at the Spanish giant in 2005, both stints without much success.

Mauricio Savarese, The Associated Press