Brazil in a long-distance battle with Morocco for first place in the group

Carlo Ancelotti raises his left eyebrow just a bit. We’ve seen him do that for years. Otherwise, Brazil’s national team coach remains completely unfazed by all the commotion surrounding his team. He recently reiterated that this job is a “privilege” for him. The experienced coach knew exactly what he was getting into when he signed on with the record-holding world champions a little over a year ago—and just how challenging his mission would be at this tournament in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Ancelotti’s mission is nothing less than to restore Brazil to its former glory, to reunite ambition with reality after 24 years without a World Cup title. So far, his success has been rather modest. Consequently, journalists’ questions have recently been quite critical. But Ancelotti seems unfazed—even ahead of Thursday’s match in Miami against Scotland and the head-to-head battle with Morocco, which is playing Haiti, for first place in the group.

Brazil lacks the world-class stars of yesteryear

“We have to stay calm and focus on our work,” explained the 67-year-old, referring to the hype that traditionally surrounds his team. The biggest stars of the Seleção’s recent past are no longer on the field but are sitting in the stands at this World Cup: whether it’s Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká, or Roberto Carlos—all of whom were part of the 2002 World Cup-winning team.

Of the current roster, only Neymar and Vinicius Junior—and, to a lesser extent, Raphinha, who is now sidelined with a thigh injury—come close to matching their star power, if anyone does at all. Ancelotti knows this. And yet he never tires of highlighting the qualities of his squad. What else can he do? In Brazil, they don’t want to hear anything else anyway. The sixth World Cup title remains the goal.

Sweeping all titles at the club level

In the opener against Morocco (1–1), the opponent was strong, yet Brazil’s own performance was lackluster. Against Haiti (3–0), the Brazilians lived up to their role as favorites, but not much more than that. And now? Against the passionate Scots, the resilience that Ancelotti demands from his players will likely be needed even more than before.

He’s experienced enough to handle all the pressure, Ancelotti said recently. At the club level, he’s won everything there is to win: league titles in Italy, England, France, Spain, and Germany. Plus, the Champions League five times. He’s coached the very best: AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.

Kroos also raved about Ancelotti

And what’s even more striking is just how much praise he receives from the many stars he’s coached over the years. “Ancelotti is the best coach I’ve ever had,” said Vinicius Junior, for example. Ancelotti has already worked successfully with Brazil’s extroverted attacking star at Real Madrid. If anyone knows how to properly handle the Seleção’s biggest hope at this World Cup, it’s probably the iconic Italian coach. Ancelotti, the people person.

Former German national team player Toni Kroos has also described his time with Ancelotti in Madrid as “outstanding.” The 2014 World Cup champion once noted that while the coach always makes the final decisions, he’s also interested in the players’ opinions. Ancelotti himself has explained on multiple occasions how important it is to him to build a close relationship with his players.

Brazil’s challenging quest for the title now places special demands on Ancelotti. As a tactician. As a motivator. As an advisor. And as a calming influence in the spotlight.