Ancelotti calls Brazil’s 2026 World Cup group “tough” | OneFootball

The coach Carlo Ancelotti evaluated Brazil's group in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada as “difficult”. The Brazilian National Team was drawn in Group C, alongside Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland.

“Difficult. Morocco did very well in the last World Cup. Scotland is a solid team. We have to do our best and try to finish first in the group. The first game will be very important,” said the Italian coach in an interview with SporTV.

The Italian coach of the Brazilian national team, Carlo Ancelotti, poses on the red carpet upon arriving to participate in the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on December 5, 2025. (Photo by Roberto SCHMIDT / AFP)

“We have to think about winning all three games. Morocco will be the toughest, but we must have confidence,” he added.

The president of the CBF, Samir Xaud, on the other hand, approved Brazil's group. “Regardless of the teams that come, we have to show our football in this Cup. We like the group a lot and the region where we can stay. It's on track. It looks similar to the last Cup where we were champions. It's on the right path.”

Schedule

Brazil will debut in the World Cup against Morocco on June 13 (Saturday). The match against Haiti will be on June 19 (Friday). The clash with Scotland will take place on June 24 (Wednesday).

The matches of the National Team will be held in cities in the Eastern United States (Atlanta, Boston, Miami, New York/New Jersey, or Philadelphia). The complete schedule, with times and locations, will be announced by FIFA only this Saturday at 2 PM (Brasília time).

MORE: See all the groups for the 2026 World Cup

Upcoming Friendlies

Before thinking about the World Cup, Brazil is preparing to play new friendlies. In the next FIFA date, in March of next year, the Canarinho will face France and Croatia. The call-up for these games will be close to the final list for the World Cup.

“The March list will be more or less the final list for the World Cup,” revealed Ancelotti.

New Format

The 2026 World Cup will debut a new format. From now on, to become champion, a team will need to play eight matches. This is because there will be a phase before the round of 16: the round of 32. The top two from each group will advance to the knockout stage, along with the eight best third-placed teams.

When does it start?

The opening match of the 2026 World Cup is scheduled for June 11, at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. In total, there will be 104 matches in the competition.

The knockout stage is set to begin on June 28. The grand final, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, will be on July 19. The third-place match will take place the day before, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

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