One might call it irony or a simple twist of fate. The 35-year-old, who had just ditched his soccer kit for a coach’s tracksuit, was training with the Italian team at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena.It was the summer of 1994. Under the venerable Arrigo Sacchi, one of AC Milan’s most famous sons, Carlo Ancelotti, was learning the ways of Dunga’s Brazil. But for the shootout loss, Ancelotti’s first test as coach would have been a resounding success against the might of the Romario-Babito combination.Thirty-two years later, five Champions League Titles later, Ancelotti will again grace the dugout in America. This time though, he will be envisioning the resurrection of the Selecao, a job that has never gone to a non-Brazilian in the long term. History struggles to remember the three foreign players who coached Brazil, but the fourth has certainly made history. AlreadyThe calm coach, as he now calls him, has gone into one of the most emotionally challenging jobs on the planet. Ancelotti’s appointment came with some reservations from the native Brazilian. Even Brazilian President Lula questioned the Italian’s lack of experience with national teams. That Italy, who failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, never asked for Ancelotti’s help, was politely cited. Undaunted, Saatchi’s most famous understudy took the plunge and led the yellow shirts through the qualifiers to the big stage.For an entire generation, Brazil has been wandering aimlessly in the wilderness of world football. Memories of 2002, when Kafu lifted the trophy in Saitama, Japan, are like a forbidden underground club for Brazil’s Gen-Z. The victory of 1970 seems to him a yellow diploma hanging on the far corner of the wall.Repeated humiliations by Argentina in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Croatia and most recently the Copa and World Cup qualifiers in South America forced the Brazilian federation to finally explore only one option — hiring a European.Ancelotti has been tasked with creating football legends, to buy back his soul from football’s Mephistopheles.
Back in America, this time Brazil’s path looks less like 1970 or 2002 and more like 1994. That team, coached by Carlos Alberto Parreira, remains the most misunderstood champion in football history. For many romantics, USA ’94 represented the death of Joga Bonito. He was practical, physical, careful and occasionally blunt.Yet, it was also mentally irresistible. Brazil conceded just three goals in seven matches. He controlled the matches rather than letting them run through them. And when that moment came, they trusted Romario, Babito, Dinga and an aging Bronco to provide exactly what the team needed.Ancelotti could be forced to adopt a similar blueprint.“Maybe this time we’re a step behind, but we’re on our toes and that’s always a good thing,” declared Casemiro, of plans for Dinga’s successor, Ancelotti.Brazil still have immense attacking talent but, unlike previous generations, there is no clear, absolute superstar at peak maturity. Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. is devastating in transition but less dominant in tight spaces for both club and country. Raphinha can explode one day and disappear the next. Endrick remains more of a promise than a belief.This is why the comparison with 1994 becomes interesting.Brazil don’t necessarily need the next Romario. Crucially, they need someone who can create decisive moments under pressure. Romario scored just five goals in that World Cup, but almost every touch changed Brazil’s fortunes. His chemistry with Bebeto gave Brazil a performance rather than a spectacle.Today, Vinicius and Raphinha could theoretically become that partnership, but neither has Romario’s cold-blooded inevitability yet. Perhaps Ancelotti’s biggest task is psychological – convincing his attackers to be the men who decide the tournament rather than just having fun.Then comes the important question of Dinga.No player epitomized the anti-romanticism of 1994 more than Dinga. He was criticized for years because he represented the discipline in an artistic way. Nevertheless, Brazil won that World Cup under his leadership. Dunga kept the side in emotional control. He imposed a competitive edge on a talented but fragile squad.Modern Brazil lacks this figure more than Romario. Midfielder Casemiro has huge shoes to fill.The current team has technical quality everywhere, but emotionally they look weak in the tournament. Defeats to Croatia in 2022, a recent friendly against France exposed a team that may be anxious to close the road. Ancelotti’s history suggests he understands this deeply. His greatest teams at Real Madrid weren’t always tactically revolutionary. They were emotionally stable. They survived the storms.Perhaps this is the future of Brazil under him: less chaos, fewer risks, more control.This does not mean ugly football in the traditional sense. Ancelotti is too sophisticated to turn Brazil into a purely defensive machine. But international football increasingly prizes structure over beauty. As spectacular as Argentina won the 2022 World Cup through flexibility and tactical adaptation. France reached two consecutive finals, mastering transition and defensive balance.The era of winning through complacency is largely over.Brazil may need to accept this reality.Ironically, embracing pragmatism can free them psychologically. The burden of performing “like Brazil” has haunted generations since 2002. Every failure is considered a betrayal of identity. Ancelotti, as an outsider, can finally separate the team from this historic penalty.And if Brazil succeeds on American soil, that samba doesn’t quite resemble soccer. It may look more like 1994: disciplined, strict, occasionally uncomfortable—but ultimately unstoppable when the pressure becomes unbearable.
