Carlo Ancelotti’s work at the head of the national team is considered good or excellent by 28% of Brazilians, according to the most recent Datafolha survey. The index is the lowest of the century in surveys carried out before each World Cup on the performance of national team coaches.
The Italian is well behind compared to its predecessors. In chronological order, Luiz Felipe Scolari had 37% in 2002, Carlos Alberto Parreira had 62% in 2006, Dunga had 49% in 2010, Scolari had 68% in 2014, and Tite had 64% in 2018 and 47% in 2022.
The numbers do not exclusively represent distrust towards Ancelotti. There is a general disbelief surrounding the team, which has not won the World Cup for 24 years. In the same survey, only 29% said they believe in the title in 2026, also the lowest number of the century.
2,004 people aged 16 or over were interviewed on the 7th, 8th and 9th of April, in 137 municipalities. For 34% of them, Carletto’s work is regular; 12% consider it bad/terrible, and 26% were unable to answer. The margin of error is two percentage points, plus or minus.
Part of the responses was influenced by the rejection of the presence of a foreigner at the head of the national team. Resistance has diminished, but it still exists. In the last Datafolha survey on the topic, in June 2025, 31% said they were against command in the hands of a non-Brazilian; 52% were in favor.
Brazil’s current coach has already reached the final stretch of a chaotic cycle towards the World Cup. With Tite’s departure at the end of 2022, the team played under the direction of interim Ramon Menezes, the initially interim Fernando Diniz and the short-lived Dorival Júnior, dismissed after a 4-1 defeat to arch-rivals Argentina. It has been less than a year since the Italian was hired.
Ancelotti, 66, is the fourth foreigner to manage the yellow-green office, the first effectively. Owner of an exceptional CV as a coach, he is the only one with titles in all five of the main European national leagues (Italy, England, France, Germany and Spain) and also the record holder for triumphs in the biggest club championship, the Champions League, with five – the count does not include his two continental cups as a player.
His hiring was already a wish of Ednaldo Rodrigues, removed from the presidency of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) in May 2025, by court decision. When the current president, Samir Xaud, was elected (as the only candidate) to succeed him, the coach’s arrival was already agreed. The Italian was introduced the following day, in his charismatic way, skillfully evading questions about the political situation of the confederation.
Since then, supported by his heavy CV, he has maintained a high prestige among managers despite only average performance – between qualifying matches and friendlies, there were ten commitments, with five wins, two draws and three defeats. Behind the scenes at CBF, the evaluation of his work is so good that the renewal of his contract for the cycle towards the 2030 World Cup has already been announced.
If the appreciation is not the same among a significant part of the population, Ancelotti can rely on the fact that prior approval is not necessarily an indication of success in the World Cup. Luiz Felipe Scolari, known as Felipão, had the approval of just 37% before winning the penta, in 2002, and was acclaimed by 68% before the 2014 disaster, with a 7-1 home defeat to Germany.
