Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti announced on Thursday, June 18, that he will make some changes to the starting lineup to face Haiti, considering that his team “can and has to do better” after the 1-1 draw against Morocco in the 2026 World Cup debut.
“We are going to make some changes, it may be that a fresher player comes in. We have to improve balance and quality of play. Miss fewer passes. We have the quality to do it, to play an entertaining game,” said the Italian coach in a press conference at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Ancelotti assured that he has already defined the starting lineup, although he avoided revealing what changes he will introduce. “I have no problem communicating the starting lineup. Football has no secrets, but I prefer to tell the players first,” he said.
Likewise, he confessed that he did not expect such a discreet first half against Morocco and attributed that performance to the “weight of the shirt” and the “pressure of the debut”, factors that could have affected the “mental aspect of the players.”
“The match was not good and it leaves me a little critical of the team (…) We have to find a solution. We have worked these days to try to solve it and I think we are going to solve it because I continue to trust that the team is going to be competitive in this World Cup,” he stated.
Although he rejected that his team has a single “clear identity”, he explained that he seeks his players to be able to adapt to different game scenarios.
“Many things: defending in a low block, attacking, taking advantage of individual quality, being aggressive in front, lowering the block, defending in your area,” he listed.
Regarding Haiti, Brazil’s rival this Friday, June 19, Ancelotti highlighted that in their debut against Scotland they showed that they were a “very balanced team, with physical quality above all, well organized and with a fairly clear system.”
“They play good football with the characteristics they have. We have to respect everyone because this is a World Cup and everyone is very motivated,” he warned.