It took Carlo Ancelotti a while to become popular in Brazil. He led a modest team to the World Cup, and a lackluster draw with Morocco did not help Ancelotti's cause.
But with 3-0 victories over Haiti and Scotland, Brazil has qualified for the knockout stage with renewed confidence and aspirations for the title.
It seems that Ancelotti is finally paving the way forward with the five-time world champion.
"He's the greatest coach of all time," said Brazil fan Luca Scapinelli before the win over Scotland. "Five Champions League trophies and triumph in every major European league. He can offer a lot. We haven't had such a great coach for a long time."
Success at club level, especially with Real Madrid and Milan, was the reason Brazil hired the Italian coach about a year ago. Brazil has not won the World Cup since 2002.
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The common denominator of Brazil's success at the tournament so far has been Vinicius Junior. The Real Madrid star, who has struggled to match the quality he displayed at club level for the national team, has scored in all three matches. He scored twice against Scotland and now has four goals.
The 67-year-old coached Vinicius at Madrid from 2021 to 2025, helping him transform into a global star.
The pair won two Champions League trophies, two La Liga trophies and a Copa del Rey during this period.
"It's a pleasure because I had no doubt about how he could perform in this World Cup," Ancelotti said of Vinicius.
"It's an honor for him to play for the national team. He's one of the best in the world, without a doubt."
Vinicius said that the Italian coach helped him score more goals.
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"I need to listen to him more," Vini joked. "I'm sure when we go to the locker room he'll say he knows a lot about football."
During his presentation as coach, Ancelotti emphasized that he had always felt "a special connection with Brazil" and that he fully understood that many expected Brazil to become world champions again.
This connection seems to be emerging at the right time. When Ancelotti's name was mentioned before the match against Scotland, the Brazilian fans in the stadium applauded enthusiastically.
"I like that he's really into Brazilian culture," said Caio Monteiro, a Brazil fan from Belo Horizonte.
"He wanted to learn the anthem, he wanted to learn Portuguese, and he did it in a few months."
Some fans were unhappy with the hiring of a foreign coach, but that seems to have faded.
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"If you look at the league in Brazil, all the best teams have foreign coaches," said Humberto Silva, a fan from Sao Paulo. "It's just the way it should be now."
In the first round of the knockout stage, Brazil faces Japan. The match takes place on Monday at 19:00 PM in Houston.
