Carlo Ancelotti’s conviction that world champion teams need to balance offensive talent and defensive solidity gains a perfect portrait this Saturday (30), at 1 pm (Brasília time), in the Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain — SBT, TNT and HBO Max broadcast.
On opposite sides in the decision played at the Puskás Arena, in Budapest, Marquinhos, PSG captain, and Gabriel Magalhães, Arsenal’s absolute starter, symbolize the defense duo that the Italian coach sees as one of Brazil’s pillars for the 2026 World Cup.
The clash also serves as a preview of the talent that will be present at the World Cup in two weeks. The final brings together 28 players already called up by teams qualified for the World Cup hosted in North America. France tops the list, with six representatives.
In total, Arsenal will have 15 players at the World Cup, while PSG will have 13. The list could still increase, as both clubs have athletes from Ecuador who are awaiting official call-ups.
Among those called up, the London team brings together names such as David Raya, William Saliba, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Martin Zubimendi. The Parisian team will feature athletes such as Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha, João Neves, Ousmane Dembélé and Gonçalo Ramos.
Despite the proximity of the World Cup, Marquinhos ensures that the players’ focus is fully focused on the Champions League decision. In his case, it is the opportunity to win the tournament for the second time in a row, as PSG reaches the final as defending champions.
“A Champions League final is as important as the World Cup. You have to be very concentrated, give 100%, because I want to win, I want to feel that feeling”, said the defender.
For the player, who will also be Brazil’s captain at the World Cup, playing in the final of Europe’s main club tournament is a rare opportunity. “It’s a game you don’t play every year. There are people who work and prepare their entire lives and don’t manage to play in a final like this in their entire career”, he highlighted.
PSG reaches the final with the best attack of this edition of the Champions League, with 44 goals scored in 16 matches, an average of 2.75 per game. Arsenal, on the other hand, has the least leaky defense of the tournament, with only six goals conceded in the campaign until the final.
In this scenario, Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhães appear as protagonists of a duel that mixes offensive imposition and defensive consistency — exactly the combination advocated by Ancelotti.
The numbers of the Brazilian team reinforce the importance of the duo. Since the 2024 Copa América, Brazil has played 18 matches. In the nine times that Marquinhos and Gabriel started together, the team conceded just five goals, never more than one per game. The record was six wins, two draws and one defeat. Without the complete duo, or with just one of them on the field, the team conceded 12 goals in nine matches, accumulating four defeats.
With Ancelotti, the two only played side by side twice, due to injuries and suspensions. Even so, the impact was immediate: 3-0 victories over Chile, in the qualifiers, and 2-0 against Senegal, in a friendly, without conceding a goal.
In North America, the duo will perform together at a World Cup for the first time. While Marquinhos will compete in his third World Cup, after joining the 2018 and 2022 squads, Gabriel Magalhães will make his debut in the tournament.
For Ancelotti, it is precisely this combination of experience, solidity and talent that begins the construction of a Brazil candidate for the world title.
