Ancelotti explains Vinicius omission from Brazil’s decisive World Cup penalty in 1-2 loss to Norway | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti explained why Vinícius Júnior did not take the spot-kick that Bruno Guimarães missed in Brazil’s 1-2 loss to Norway in the 2026 World Cup last 16 at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.

According to Superdeporte, the Brazil coach said the selection followed pre-match analysis by his staff using penalty data from the past year. Among those available, he considered Guimarães the best option on the pitch at that moment.

Ancelotti also disclosed the order set by those numbers, with Neymar first, then Igor Thiago, Raphinha, Bruno Guimarães and Gabriel Martinelli.

Vinícius did not feature in the top five, a surprise given he often assumes penalty duties for Real Madrid, sharing them with Kylian Mbappé.

He underlined that the call was not about hierarchy or trust, only the statistical evidence compiled by his staff.

Source: Superdeporte