Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly been contacted by the Brazilian football federation with a view to leading them at the 2026 World Cup.
The Italian is in his second spell at Real Madrid, with this stint proving to be even more successful.
Since rejoining the club in 2021, Ancelotti has guided Los Blancos to two La Liga titles and two Champions League triumphs, not to mention lifting the FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup (twice), and the Copa del Rey.
However, after a slow start to this season, speculation mounted that the 65-year-old would leave the Spanish giants, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso seen as a possible successor.
Now, The Athletic claims the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has been in touch with Ancelotti about becoming their coach for next summer’s World Cup in North America.
This has come hot on the heels of Brazil’s 4-1 defeat at the hands of Argentina on Tuesday, with pressure mounting on coach Dorival Junior.
The CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues approached the ex-AC Milan manager in 2022 and 2023 but that was put to bed when he signed a contract extension until 2026. Now, however, they have renewed their interest in Ancelotti.
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Ancelotti speaks out on Real Madrid future
If Madrid win the Champions League and La Liga this season, it seems unlikely Ancelotti would leave the club this summer. If they fail to do that, then this Brazil offer may appear a bit more tempting.
However, he does not seem to be in a hurry to leave Madrid anytime soon.
In early March, he said on PoretCast di Giacomo Poretti: “I don’t know when. I don’t decide. The only clear thing I know is that I don’t decide when I will leave, the president will. It will happen sooner or later.”
Two months earlier, the Italian shrugged off speculation that he had decided to leave the club at the end of the season. He also talked about staying for several more years, alongside club president Florentino Perez.
“I want to be very clear: the departure date of this club is never going to be decided by me in my life. I have the advantage that Florentino will stay for four more years and I have the objective of reaching them with him. We can say goodbye together,” he told reporters.
Previous reports suggested Ancelotti had decided this season at Madrid would be his last and Alonso, whose Leverkusen deal runs until 2026, was the favourite to replace him. An intriguing few months lie ahead.
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