Carlo Ancelotti has received strong criticism after Brazil were knocked out of the 2026 World Cup at the Round of 16 stage by Norway.
Erling Haaland netted a brace as Neymar's final act in a Brazil shirt was nothing more than a consolation penalty. Ancelotti was seen as the man to bring his incredible club success to the international scene and get the South Americans back to the top of the sport.
However, they crashed out at the earliest stage of the competition since the 1990 tournament. It's been viewed as a massive disappointment by the Brazilian media, with Ancelotti receiving most of the blame. Romario, one of the country's best-ever players, has now come forward with even more brutal comments.
Ancelotti Told He Should Be 'Taken to Court'
Neymar and Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti at the 2026 World CupREUTERS/Paul Childs
Much was made of the decision to bring a 34-year-old and injury-prone Neymar to the competition ahead of Chelsea's Joao Pedro. That ended up being just one of many questionable choices the Italian made along the way, and he's now being torn apart for it.
Romario is adamant that the five-time Champions League-winning manager must be sacked or resign. He said (per talkSPORT): "He cannot remain Brazil’s head coach."
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"If I had been in charge of the federation, I would have walked into the dressing room, told him to go to hell and torn up his contract on the spot," he emphatically continued.
The 1994 World Cup winner even claimed he'd take legal action against the coach, stating: "The match against Norway was a disgrace. I’d even take him to court. Then we’ll see what happens, but he cannot stay."
His damning assessment didn't stop there. Romario, who represented his country from 1987 to 2005, went through previous managers to make his point that Ancelotti deserves the boot.
He added: "We had Dunga. He lost, and he left. We had Luiz Felipe Scolari, he won the World Cup, so he stayed. We had Tite. He lost, he stayed, and then he lost again.
"Now we have this damned Ancelotti, who has lost and will keep on losing. He made a lot of mistakes at this World Cup, and none of you in the media are saying a word.
"If he were a Brazilian coach, you would have torn him apart by now. But because he’s a foreigner, nobody says anything."
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Neymar Brazil vs Scotland World Cup 2026REUTERS/Paul Childs/Action Images
Following his team's defeat at the hands of Norway, Ancelotti expressed his disappointment. The veteran tactician is ultimately viewed as a winner, but he fell short with a group of players who would've been expected to go further.
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Speaking after the game, he said: "We must continue to work and improve and find new ideas. I believe that this loss is not the end, but the beginning of a new cycle.
"For me, it's a disappointing result and a great sense of sadness but it also leaves a truly valuable experience, an excellent working group."