Report: Carlo Ancelotti leaving Real Madrid to coach Brazilian national team

One of the greatest managers in soccer history may have his biggest task yet ahead of him — fixing Brazil. Legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly set to part ways with La Liga's Real Madrid after this season and take his talents to Brazil to coach the men's national team, soccer insider Fabrizio Romano reported on Monday. According to Romano, Ancelotti and Brazil have reached an agreement in principle to become the team's head coach for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and will take over the team in June of this year.

An additional report from Mario Cortegana of The Athletic stated that Ancelotti will join Brazil on an initial one-year deal until the end of the World Cup. The 65-year-old manager remains under contract with Real Madrid until 2026, but according to Cortegana, Ancelotti has already informed the team of his intention to leave the club. Ancelotti has been with Los Blancos since 2021, winning the La Liga title in 2022 and 2024, the UEFA Champions League in 2022 and 2024 and the Copa del Rey in 2023.



However, Real has struggled this season. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Champions League after a staggering 5-1 loss to Arsenal on aggregate and are in second place in Spain, four points behind leaders and rival Barcelona. They also lost to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey on Saturday.

Brazil, meanwhile, have been looking for serious change after decades of disappointments for the most successful nation in international soccer. The Seleção 's last trophy came in 2019 when they beat Peru 3-1 in the Copa America. Since then, they lost to Argentina in the finals of the 2021 Copa and didn't even make the Final Four in the 2024 edition.

They've fared even worse in World Cup competition, having not made it past the quarterfinals in the last two editions, and were notoriously battered 7-1 by Germany in the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup when they hosted the tournament. With Ancelotti set to take over the side for the World Cup, he'd become the first foreign manager on the touchline for Brazil at the tournament. The side has only ever had three non-Brazilian managers over its long history, and they only led the team for a combined seven games.

Though he leaves behind Real Madrid, he'll once again have the chance to manage star players like Vinícius Júnior, Éder Militão, Endrick and Rodrygo, who shined in his system in Spain's capital. Brazil has been looking for a new manager since firing Dorival Junior, who coached only 16 games in March of this year. Tite coached the side at the last two World Cups.

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