Carlo Ancelotti, head coach of Brazil, admitted after the 1–1 draw in the 2026 World Cup debut against Morocco that his team “must improve” and that “criticism must be accepted.” However, Ancelotti stressed that “you don’t win a World Cup based on how you play the first match.”
“We have to accept the criticism because we didn’t play a good match, especially in the first half, where we didn’t find balance. The team will improve in the next game,” the Italian coach said in the press conference after the draw against Morocco at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The former Real Madrid coach also admitted to the media that Brazil “did not play well.” Ancelotti stated that his team improved in the second half, but made it clear that Brazil cannot “lose strength” during a match like this.
Ancelotti continued: “It’s the first match and we cannot base everything on what we did today. This is the result we have, but we will improve in the next game. Morocco played well, very organized. It was a difficult match.”
When asked whether his substitutions had an impact, Ancelotti said he did not waste “any time” making them, as the first two came at halftime and the next two around the hour mark. The last one came ten minutes before the end of regulation time.
Regarding the mandatory hydration breaks introduced in the tournament, lasting two minutes, Ancelotti said: “They are a very good moment tactically because you can explain problems to the players.”
Brazilian fans filled around 70 percent of the seats at MetLife Stadium. “It’s very nice to have this support, but I apologize to the fans for not being able to win,” Ancelotti said after his first World Cup match as a coach.
Brazil will play its second match in the 2026 World Cup, Group C, next Friday, June 19, against Haiti in Philadelphia, and will face Scotland on the 24th in Miami.
