Brazil’s latest World Cup exit has reopened old arguments around the national team, but Bruno Guimaraes has urged the federation to resist another reset. The former Lyon midfielder, now at Arsenal, has backed Carlo Ancelotti after the Italian came under criticism following Brazil’s 2-1 last-16 defeat to Erling Haaland’s Norway.
Key takeaways
- Bruno Guimaraes called for continuity under Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti.
- Brazil were knocked out of the World Cup in the round of 16 by Norway, losing 2-1.
- The Arsenal midfielder said the players must accept responsibility for the disappointing campaign.
- Ancelotti has recorded 10 wins, three draws and four defeats in 17 matches since taking charge in summer 2025.
- Brazil had already gone through three head coaches after Tite left in December 2022.
Guimaraes calls for a steadier Brazil cycle
Speaking on Wednesday, Guimaraes said Brazil had suffered from too much upheaval in the previous World Cup cycle and should not respond to another tournament disappointment by changing manager again.
“Continuity matters a great deal to me,” he said. “It is important to stay on this path. During the last World Cup cycle, we changed coaches several times and had many different ideas. It was a very turbulent period.”
Guimaraes, who spent two and a half seasons with Lyon before leaving Ligue 1, said he hoped Brazil could build a different cycle from this point. “I hope we can have a different cycle this year and improve in the future,” he added.
His intervention comes after Thiago Silva criticised Ancelotti in Brazil, with the national side again falling short on the World Cup stage. Rather than placing the blame solely on the coach, Guimaraes said the squad must examine its own performance.
“We players need to assess ourselves and recognise that we were not good enough,” he said. “We could have done much better.”
Ancelotti’s record after a revolving-door period
Ancelotti took over the Seleção in the summer of 2025. Across 17 matches in all competitions, his team have won 10 times, drawn three and lost four.
The Italian inherited a side that had lacked stability since Tite’s departure in December 2022. Brazil used three different coaches before Ancelotti arrived:
- Ramon Menezes oversaw three matches between February and July 2023.
- Fernando Diniz took charge for six games from July 2023 to January 2024.
- Dorival Junior led Brazil in 16 matches between January and March 2025.
For Guimaraes, the response to defeat against Norway should be reflection rather than another change in the dugout. Brazil’s next cycle begins with the same demand as ever: turn promise into a team capable of surviving the biggest nights.
