Ancelotti: No Clear Favorite to Win the World Cup

Carlo Ancelotti rejected the description of Brazil's path in the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup as the easiest, despite the presence of major teams like Spain, France, Germany, and Portugal on the other side of the tournament. He emphasized that all matches in the World Cup carry a high degree of difficulty and pressure.

The Italian coach said during the press conference before Brazil's match against Japan in the round of 32: "I don't agree with this opinion, because every match is extremely difficult. There are many things we need to consider and a lot of pressure."

He added that the current tournament has shown a significant closeness in the level of the teams, emphasizing that he does not see any team as a clear favorite to win the title so far.

Ancelotti added: "I am still convinced that there is no clear favorite yet. Perhaps some teams have performed better than others in the group stage, but I do not see a team that is explicitly favored. I believe we are facing a very balanced and highly competitive World Cup."

He also emphasized that the coaching staff is fully focused on preparing for the match against Japan and respecting the opponent's capabilities, stating: "We are concentrating on the game and the strengths of the opponent, and we will not resort to what they call psychological games in England."

Regarding his experience in knockout matches, the Italian coach jokingly said after being described as the "King of Knockout Stages": "I don't know, these aren't home-and-away matches, it's just a single match. The Brazilian team is fortunate to have smart and highly experienced players who know exactly how to prepare for this type of match, which is why I am very confident."

It was also revealed that Neymar is ready to participate for a longer period, saying: "Neymar is progressing very well and can play for more than 15 minutes, but that will depend on the match conditions and how events unfold."