It was expected to be a formality that Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti would be taking over the Brazil national team during the summer ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Not anymore. The Brazilian Football Federation has ended negotiations with Ancelotti due to the termination clause in his Real Madrid contract, according to Globo.
Ancelotti, now linked with the Saudi Arabian league, is under contract until 2026 with Real Madrid, and despite the expectation for them to part ways early, considering Real Madrid’s performance this season, there could be snags. Only a few days ago, Ancelotti was expected to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season, before the Club World Cup, to take over the current vacant job, coaching Brazil in World Cup qualifiers this summer.
But now Brazil could be forced to scramble yet again after missing out on Ancelotti. They fired Dorival Junior in March following a record 4-1 loss to Argentina in World Cup qualifying, leaving to what will be next for the Seleção in limbo.
Here’s what to know:
What’s the latest?
Brazil need to have its list of players for the June international window sent to FIFA by May 18. The goal would be the new coach being the person who selects them, but it wouldn’t be a requirement for coaching the June World Cup qualifiers. Globo suggests that Jorge Jesus is the favorite to take over, but like Ancelotti, Jesus has a job currently. Managing Al-Hilal, and his contract expires at the end of the Club World Cup.
With Brazil’s international matches taking place prior to that tournament, if Jesus is the next manager to take over, an agreement will have to be reached with the Saudi Arabian club. CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues is put in a tough position, and time isn’t on Brazil’s side when qualification for the 2026 World Cup isn’t guaranteed. Any new coach needs time to sort out Brazil’s lack of balance, and that time is dwindling quickly.
Why do Madrid want to part ways?
After a poor season by their high standards, not only have Real Madrid been knocked out of the Champions League, but they have also lost the Copa del Rey final to Barcelona. There’s an unlikely chance that they could close the gap to win La Liga, but that alone won’t be enough to make this season a success. It’s unknown what would come next for Ancelotti with him no longer set to take over Brazil, but this does leave quite a few parties in limbo as things stand.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Twins mailbag: Attendance update, Royce Lewis’ health, Carson McCusker crushing
It’s been way too long since my last mailbag column, but it seemed best for the collective sanity of everyone involved to wait until the Minnesota Twins weren’t in free-fall mode before fielding your questions. That took a while.But now that the Twins have won six of their last eight games to at least start climbing out of the early season hole they dug, let’s open the mailbag and see what’s on your minds about a fourth-place team.Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length.AdvertisementHas the attendance gotten any better since you wrote about it? — Bob W.No. I wrote about the Twins’ declining attendance on April 17 and it’s gotten slightly worse since then.Their average announced attendance — in other words, tickets sold rather than actual people in seats — through 15 home games is 17,030, which […]
Fantasy Football: Rookie draft board, combined offense and IDP draft strategy
Get a sense of where to value the rookie IDPs among the sea of offensive weapons: Can’t figure out where Abdul Carter or Jihaad Campbell match up with the likes of RJ Harvey or Luther Burden III? Dive in to find out! Seven rounds broken down by pick: Designed to provide a walkthrough of rookie drafts that include IDP to pinpoint the best values along the way. Final chance to claim 25% off PFF+: Use code DRAFT25 and unlock access to player grades, fantasy tools and the 2025 Draft Guide. Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes With rookie drafts starting up in full force, fantasy managers are presented with plenty of different rankings to help them understand which players to value at each pick. Those rankings are helpful, but it is rare to find a guide that details how to value […]
Who is better off, the Yankees without Juan Soto or the Mets with him?
The New York Yankees and New York Mets are always looking over their shoulders to see what the other is doing and improve on it. This was heightened during the current offseason, with Juan Soto's move from the Yankees to the Mets. It was a blow to the Yankees' prestige as MLB's most dominant franchise, which has always kept its city neighbors in the shadows.With the arrival of the four-time All-Star to Queens, this gap could begin to close. While the MLB season is just over a month old, the results have been mixed so far:Juan Soto loses focus during Mets game while pleasing fanThe Mets (19-9) had the best record in baseball until before their game on Monday, but not thanks to Soto, who is hitting just .248/.374/.396 with three home runs and 12 RBIs, very poor for a […]
Tyrese Haliburton embarrassed by his father’s behavior with Giannis Antetokounmpo and gives him a slap on the wrist
The Indiana Pacers may have sealed a dramatic first-round victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, but the postgame headlines were dominated by an unexpected and uncomfortable scene involving Tyrese Haliburton's father.The Pacers edged the Bucks 119-118 in an overtime thriller, eliminating the Eastern Conference powerhouse in Game 5. Despite a triple-double from Giannis Antetokounmpo and a 33-point showing from Gary Trent Jr., Milwaukee's late-game turnovers proved costly. Haliburton sealed the win with a game-winning layup that sent Gainbridge Fieldhouse into celebration-but what followed raised eyebrows across the league.Giannis Antetokounmpo disrespected by fan during free throw attempt caught in videoAs the crowd erupted, John Haliburton, Tyrese's father, stepped onto the court holding a banner with his son's face. That moment turned tense when he confronted Giannis, standing face-to-face with the Bucks star in the immediate aftermath of the defeat. Witnesses saw the […]
Arsenal live Q&A: James McNicholas answers your post-PSG questions
And so to Paris we go after a disappointing 1-0 defeat at home against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final first leg.There was a bluntness in Arsenal’s performance, partly down to PSG’s impressive midfield, while Ousmane Dembele and Gianluigi Donnarumma put in game-changing displays. But the difference is still only one goal. What should Mikel Arteta do for the second leg next week to make a difference? It is away at Parc des Princes next Wednesday and before then, there is a match in the Premier League (remember that?) against Bournemouth on Saturday. There is also, as always, transfers and contracts to discuss as new sporting director Andrea Berta settles into his new role before a big summer. Get your questions in now and and James McNicholas will be with you between 2pm and 3pm BST (9am to 10am […]
I coached in the NFL for years. This is the biggest reason young QBs succeed or fail
Editor’s Note: This story is a part of Peak, The Athletic’s new desk covering leadership, personal development and success through the lens of sports. Peak aims to connect readers to ideas they can implement in their own personal and professional lives. Follow Peak here.I remember the exact moment I knew Andrew Luck had the makeup to be successful.AdvertisementI’m not talking about talent. Everyone knew he had the talent. I’m talking about makeup — the mental side of the game that you can’t measure on film or at the combine.I was the offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts at the time. I flew up to Stanford to work Andrew out ahead of the draft. Andrew was the best player in the draft, but I wanted to see what he was made of, so we put in some plays, ran them out […]
Related
Twins mailbag: Attendance update, Royce Lewis’ health, Carson McCusker crushing
It’s been way too long since my last mailbag column, but it seemed best for the collective sanity of everyone involved to wait until the Minnesota Twins weren’t in free-fall mode before fielding your questions. That took a while.But now that the Twins have won six of their last eight games to at least start climbing out of the early season hole they dug, let’s open the mailbag and see what’s on your minds about a fourth-place team.Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length.AdvertisementHas the attendance gotten any better since you wrote about it? — Bob W.No. I wrote about the Twins’ declining attendance on April 17 and it’s gotten slightly worse since then.Their average announced attendance — in other words, tickets sold rather than actual people in seats — through 15 home games is 17,030, which […]
Fantasy Football: Rookie draft board, combined offense and IDP draft strategy
Get a sense of where to value the rookie IDPs among the sea of offensive weapons: Can’t figure out where Abdul Carter or Jihaad Campbell match up with the likes of RJ Harvey or Luther Burden III? Dive in to find out! Seven rounds broken down by pick: Designed to provide a walkthrough of rookie drafts that include IDP to pinpoint the best values along the way. Final chance to claim 25% off PFF+: Use code DRAFT25 and unlock access to player grades, fantasy tools and the 2025 Draft Guide. Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes With rookie drafts starting up in full force, fantasy managers are presented with plenty of different rankings to help them understand which players to value at each pick. Those rankings are helpful, but it is rare to find a guide that details how to value […]
Who is better off, the Yankees without Juan Soto or the Mets with him?
The New York Yankees and New York Mets are always looking over their shoulders to see what the other is doing and improve on it. This was heightened during the current offseason, with Juan Soto's move from the Yankees to the Mets. It was a blow to the Yankees' prestige as MLB's most dominant franchise, which has always kept its city neighbors in the shadows.With the arrival of the four-time All-Star to Queens, this gap could begin to close. While the MLB season is just over a month old, the results have been mixed so far:Juan Soto loses focus during Mets game while pleasing fanThe Mets (19-9) had the best record in baseball until before their game on Monday, but not thanks to Soto, who is hitting just .248/.374/.396 with three home runs and 12 RBIs, very poor for a […]
Tyrese Haliburton embarrassed by his father’s behavior with Giannis Antetokounmpo and gives him a slap on the wrist
The Indiana Pacers may have sealed a dramatic first-round victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, but the postgame headlines were dominated by an unexpected and uncomfortable scene involving Tyrese Haliburton's father.The Pacers edged the Bucks 119-118 in an overtime thriller, eliminating the Eastern Conference powerhouse in Game 5. Despite a triple-double from Giannis Antetokounmpo and a 33-point showing from Gary Trent Jr., Milwaukee's late-game turnovers proved costly. Haliburton sealed the win with a game-winning layup that sent Gainbridge Fieldhouse into celebration-but what followed raised eyebrows across the league.Giannis Antetokounmpo disrespected by fan during free throw attempt caught in videoAs the crowd erupted, John Haliburton, Tyrese's father, stepped onto the court holding a banner with his son's face. That moment turned tense when he confronted Giannis, standing face-to-face with the Bucks star in the immediate aftermath of the defeat. Witnesses saw the […]
Arsenal live Q&A: James McNicholas answers your post-PSG questions
And so to Paris we go after a disappointing 1-0 defeat at home against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final first leg.There was a bluntness in Arsenal’s performance, partly down to PSG’s impressive midfield, while Ousmane Dembele and Gianluigi Donnarumma put in game-changing displays. But the difference is still only one goal. What should Mikel Arteta do for the second leg next week to make a difference? It is away at Parc des Princes next Wednesday and before then, there is a match in the Premier League (remember that?) against Bournemouth on Saturday. There is also, as always, transfers and contracts to discuss as new sporting director Andrea Berta settles into his new role before a big summer. Get your questions in now and and James McNicholas will be with you between 2pm and 3pm BST (9am to 10am […]
I coached in the NFL for years. This is the biggest reason young QBs succeed or fail
Editor’s Note: This story is a part of Peak, The Athletic’s new desk covering leadership, personal development and success through the lens of sports. Peak aims to connect readers to ideas they can implement in their own personal and professional lives. Follow Peak here.I remember the exact moment I knew Andrew Luck had the makeup to be successful.AdvertisementI’m not talking about talent. Everyone knew he had the talent. I’m talking about makeup — the mental side of the game that you can’t measure on film or at the combine.I was the offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts at the time. I flew up to Stanford to work Andrew out ahead of the draft. Andrew was the best player in the draft, but I wanted to see what he was made of, so we put in some plays, ran them out […]
Be the first to leave a comment