FIFA World Cup 2026. How Carlo Ancelotti unlocks the best Vinicius Jr for Brazil Football News:
The game has not yet reached the first hydration break. Brazil already enjoyed the gift of an early goal. In the 22nd minute, Vinicius Junior, who scored the opener, dispossessed Scottish defender Jack Hendry and put in what looked like Brazil’s second. The Scots looked angry but were ready to move on. Vinicius celebrated in his signature style with his team-mates, only for VAR to step in and find a foul on Hendry in the build-up – the softest possible touch which clearly hampered the defender.Vinicius of Real Madrid might have exploded in a decision like that and invited a card. But on Wednesday, the 25-year-old gave only a mild reaction. He was ready for the next game, scored again, missed a few more and helped Brazil enter the Round of 32 as the top team from Group C, ahead of Morocco. While Vinicius deserves credit for four goals in three games and becoming the fifth Brazilian to score in all three group games, his composure shows. This is where the ‘Mister’, Carlo Ancelotti, comes in.If the Italian gentleman made the Brazilian look like a changed player in the Selecao colors since taking charge, it was also Ancelotti who helped Vinicius turn a new leaf in his career at Real Madrid in 2021, when the Italian returned to the Spanish giants for a second spell.Vinicius endured a miserable season under the outgoing Zinedine Zidane and was always Eden Hazard’s second choice whenever the Belgian was fit. Rodrygo, the other Brazilian in the team, is also preferred by Zidane. But Ancelotti took it upon himself to make the temperamental Vinicius the first winning project in his final club stint.A winger who can win with the best of his speed – but has no appetite inside the opposition box until then – has finally found his feet. The coach instilled faith in Vinicius, treated him with affection and made an important tactical tweak. prevented him from taking more than one touch before shooting or playing the last ball into the box. A player who scored a total of 15 goals in three seasons before finishing with 22 in Ancelotti’s first year, including the strike that won the Champions League. Add in the assists and Real have a star that cannot be ignored.A relationship is created; mutual trust is created. Although Real is struggling during the 2024-25 season, with Vinicius and: Kylian Mbappe often criticized for not putting in enough defensive work, Ancelotti never threw him under the bus. “I’ll replace you if you don’t run,” Ancelotti was heard telling the Brazilian during a tough La Liga clash. But once in the press room, facing a hungry media in Madrid, there was not a word against Vinicius.The tactician knew then that he would take over the job in Brazil and there was no way he would lose his main weapon. Through thick and thin, two men separated by 42 years stand by each other. The old man sees the younger man as an adult. That helped Brazil negotiate the choppy waters of the World Cup group stage after a disastrous qualifying campaign in which they finished fifth.“The ‘Mister’ knows how to deal with situations and has the ability to understand the formation required for the team he manages. He can also keep the dressing room happy and keep the morale of the team,” Vinicius said in the mixed zone on Wednesday, praising Ancelotti.While a 3-0 win was all good, with Matheus Cunha adding the final polish, what was encouraging was the subdued joy of Vinicius and his teammates. They know that in a bloated 48-team World Cup, it’s just baby steps and the first real challenge awaits.Vinicius has done a lot, but the clear chances he squandered even on Wednesday could have hurt Brazil when push came to shove. To his credit, he puts in more effort, from forcing defenders to tracking back when needed, but Brazil will expect a sharp final output, especially if his xG reads 3.2.There is still no clarity on Raphinha’s fitness, while Neymar is back in national colors after 981 days and Cunha is looking sharp. The midfield consisting of Casemiro, Lucas Paqueta and Bruno Guimaraes are not elite, while right back Danilo has left European shores in the past.From what we have seen in Brazil so far, they are no better than France, Spain, Argentina or the Netherlands. But Ancelotti knows how to take advantage of a team when it is not playing at its best.If the tactic should translate his club success into World Cup glory, Vinicius should become AC Milan’s Kaka, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo or Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior again. Can the ‘Mister’ keep his son on the golden standard of greatness? Brazil is waiting to find the answer.
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