Marco van Basten says he'll back Brazil at the World Cup | OneFootball

Former Dutch footballer Marco van Basten has caused surprise on the international stage after stating that he will support Brazil during the upcoming 2026 World Cup. In an interview with Sportmediaset, the legendary Netherlands striker, a three-time Ballon d’Or winner and standout figure for Ajax and AC Milan, shared his views on the current state of European football and explained the reasons behind his unexpected preference for the global tournament.

According to Sportmediaset, Van Basten admitted that his expectations regarding his country’s national team are not high. “I don’t expect much from the Dutch national team, so at the 2026 World Cup I’ll be cheering for Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil,” said the former international, who established himself as one of the most influential forwards of the 1980s and early 1990s.

Van Basten’s choice of Brazil as the team to follow is motivated by the figure of Carlo Ancelotti, the current coach of the South American side after leaving Real Madrid. The former striker has a relationship of friendship and professional respect with the Italian coach, which has influenced his decision to support the Brazilian Football Confederation team at the next World Cup, as Van Basten himself recounted in the interview.

Speaking with Sportmediaset, the former player also addressed the state of Italian football, which he sees as being in crisis both at club level and in the national team. “Foreign ownership is the ruin of Italian football. There are currently many foreign owners in Italy who have nothing to do with the clubs’ history nor any interest in it. It’s a shame. It would be essential to try to ensure that Italian football returns to Italian hands so it can return to the European elite,” said Van Basten, who spent a crucial part of his career at AC Milan.

The Dutchman particularly lamented the situation of his former club. “AC Milan, for example, is no longer what it used to be. I follow them and hope they recover soon, because Inter currently dominate in Italy and I don’t like that at all,” he said. Lautaro Martínez’s Nerazzurri side won the title again after Napoli’s triumph the previous season. Milan have not won one since the 2021-22 season.

Regarding the Italian national team, Van Basten highlighted the absence of standout figures that historically characterized the national side. “I’ve seen the Italian national team: now the stars are missing. Italy always had a great goalkeeper, a great defender, a great midfielder, a great striker. Nowadays, it’s hard to see them, and that’s strange. Italian football used to dominate the world: that is no longer the case today,” the former footballer said.

The next World Cup will begin on June 11, 2026 and Brazil will compete in Group C, where they will face Morocco, Haiti and Scotland. The Netherlands, meanwhile, were drawn in Group F, along with

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.