FIFA World Cup 2026: Fear can keep Brazil on its toes, says Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti has won almost everything European club football has to offer, but the Brazilian manager even said he still feels the old fear before the World Cup curtain rises, and is quite happy about it. Speaking to the media ahead of Brazil’s opening match against Morocco on Saturday, Ancelotti said nerves are not a weakness but a useful alarm bell, especially against a side that turned the last World Cup on its head by eliminating Spain and Portugal before losing to France in the semi-finals.

“Fear is an important part of life,” Ancelotti told a press conference on Friday.

“If you’re not scared and you’re caught off guard, you might see a lion and think it’s a cat.

«Fear can save your life; it’s always good to be alert and focused so that your team plays a great game and doesn’t get overwhelmed.»

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The Italian, calm as ever but not pretending to be made of stone, said Brazil must be sharp from the start against one of Africa’s strongest sides.

“I am an optimist by nature and have a lot of self-confidence,” he said. “We are well prepared to play a great match tomorrow and have a great World Cup.

«We must deliver a full performance in every respect. In modern football there are no minnows; Morocco is one of the best teams in Africa.»

For Ancelotti, this is a new chapter after a remarkable club career in Europe, where he became the first manager to win titles in the continent’s five major leagues and claimed a record five Champions League crowns as a coach, in addition to the two he won as a player in Milan. Now he is trying to lead Brazil to a long-awaited sixth World Cup title, a task he described as both a privilege and a burden.

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“It is a new experience, but of course a special one,” he said.

«It means you have the responsibility and the honor of representing the birthplace of football, the most successful national team in the world. Two things: responsibility and honor.»

Ancelotti said he wanted to embrace the occasion rather than be consumed by it.

“I want to enjoy this moment with joy and happiness because it is a wonderful moment in my story,” he said. “I feel great… I hope I can do the work necessary to help this team succeed.”

Published on June 13, 2026