Brazil was knocked out of the World Cup at the last-16 stage after a 2-1 defeat to Norway, with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scoring twice to send the five-time world champions crashing out
13:30, 08 Jul 2026Updated 13:37, 08 Jul 2026
Alisson is Liverpool's No. 1 goalkeeper
Alisson is Liverpool's No. 1 goalkeeper(Image: Getty Images)
Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil players turned down the opportunity to return home together following their World Cup exit at the hands of Norway.
It's a tough time for Liverpool superstar Alisson, who is Brazil's No. 1 goalkeeper. Sunday delivered a crushing blow to the five-time champions, who departed the tournament in North America following an unexpected 2-1 loss to Norway. In an intensely contested match, Erling Haaland opened the scoring for his nation with slightly more than 10 minutes remaining.
The Manchester City forward then sealed the victory with his second strike at the 90-minute mark. Neymar subsequently found the net from the penalty spot during added time.
Nevertheless, his goal proved to be merely a consolation for the South American powerhouse. As a result, Norway will now face England in the quarterfinals on Saturday at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.
Meanwhile, Brazil's painful 24-year drought without a World Cup title continues, with Ancelotti now facing uncertainty over his position amid speculation linking Pep Guardiola to the role.
While many teams have opted to travel home following their tournament departures, Ancelotti's squad instead dispersed individually and declined the option to journey home as a unit.
The Brazilians are out of the World Cup
The Brazilians are out of the World Cup(Image: Getty Images)
The CBF-arranged flight was not compulsory for players, yet the squad's decision to largely shun it hardly projects an image of solidarity in the wake of the deflating early exit.
Danilo was the only member of the 26-man squad to make the journey back to Rio alongside the national team's backroom staff and Leo Nannetti, who had been called up for training but ultimately failed to make the final squad.
While a host of Brazilian stars departed for their summer holidays, others headed straight back to their respective clubs to commence preparations for the forthcoming season.
This comes in the wake of Ancelotti's assurance that he and his coaching staff will "continue to do our jobs," following Sunday's elimination.
He addressed his future in the aftermath of last week's defeat: "What I say is that we continue to do our jobs and look for new ideas.
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"It's the same thing we did this year. It is an experience on my side. It is a very disappointing result, and all of us are really saddened. But this was a great group, and I have to thank my players; they worked really hard.
"I don't think we deserved to lose, but we have to accept it. That is football for you, that is sports. Sometimes you have to manage the sadness and bitter taste of a defeat.
"I am very used to that, but we are going to take this defeat and use it as fuel for the new cycle. Everyone is profoundly sad, as the fans are. This is normal to have those feelings, but what we have to do is react correctly."