‘More pressure than the president’: Ancelotti sets out to end Brazil’s World Cup drought

Last triumph was in 2002 but Italian head coach, without Neymar against Morocco, brings ‘joy and enthusiasm’

It is Marcio Santos who best sums up the predicament Brazil’s players found themselves in before the 1994 World Cup. “We hadn’t won in 24 years. That’s way too long for the Brazilian people,” remembers the former defender in the new Netflix documentary USA 94: Brazil’s Return to Glory. Having suffered the ignominy of a first-ever defeat in qualifying that prompted the manager, Carlos Alberto Parreira, to offer to step down the fabled Romário and Bebeto strike partnership inspired the Seleção to win a fourth World Cup the last time the tournament was held on American soil.

Some 32 years on, Brazil supporters will be hoping history is about to repeat itself for Carlo Ancelotti’s side as they prepare for the most awkward of opening matches against Morocco, who became the first African country to reach the last four, in 2022. The World Cup’s most successful nation has only made it past the quarter-final stage once since Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo sealed a fifth title in 2002 – and everyone remembers what has happened since then. Neymar is the only surviving squad member from the 7-1 semi-final thrashing against Germany in 2014 – aka the Mineiraço – albeit he was forced to watch the nightmare unfold from the sidelines after being injured in the previous round against Colombia.

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