Brazil: Players Yes, Coaches No

Brazilian football legacy

The Brazil national football team, known as the Seleção Canarinho, is the most successful in FIFA World Cup history with five titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) and remains the only nation to have played in every edition of world cup. Their teams from 1958–62, 1970 and 1982 are frequently cited among the greatest ever. Renowned for their joga bonito (“the beautiful game”) style — characterized by flair, creativity, and attacking brilliance — Brazil has produced iconic footballers like Pelé, Zico, Romário, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, and Neymar.

But how about producing iconic Brazilian coaches?

List of iconic players from Brazil is a long one, but are there any Brazilian coach that world football rave about? Like Helenio Herrera, Rinus Michels, Luiz Menotti, Lobanovskyi, Johan Cruyff, Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola?. For example so far, No Brazil coach has won UEFA Champios League. Brazil struggles to produce world class coaches and recently their misery is exacerbated with their failure in having players in the likes of Pele, Ronaldo who can win individually with their brilliance. Brazil already hired and fired Ramon Menezes, Fernando Diniz, Dorival Júnior as their coach for the current campaign to qualify for 2026 World Cup.

So, whats next for Brazil?

Carlo Ancelotti. That's the answer Brazilian football governing body have right now. Ancelotti is one of the most successful coach in European club football history, holding a record five UEFA Champions League titles—three with AC Milan (2003, 2007) and two with Real Madrid (2014, 2022, 2024). And for the first time in Seleção's history, they have hired a foreign coach. Football has changed and other nations have caught up with Brazil. Hopefully, with a master tactician like Ancelotti, Brazil can win their 6th World Cup in 2026.