President Luiz Inácio da Silva (PT) sent a message to this Saturday (13), hours before the debut against Morocco. In a video published on social media, he asked coach Carlo Ancelotti to advise the players to show determination and soul during the match.
“These are players who you know can do what you expect them to do. So, give these boys some advice: in addition to playing the ball you know how to play, play with a little soul. When you fall, get up and take the ball away from your opponent.”
Lula also asked the team to be objective. “Remember one thing: what counts is kicking the ball into the opponent’s goal and it goes in. What counts is the ball in the opponent’s goal. So, whenever you can, for the love of God, kick.”
“Ancelotti, tell them: you who have experience, you who were a great player, know that what counts is the determination and harmony of the team. They have to be well, they have to be motivated, they have to play with the Brazilian people in mind”, he says.
In , the Brazilian president met with the Italian coach in the company of the president of the (International Federation of), Gianni Infantino, and the president of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), Samir Xaud.
On that occasion, Lula demonstrated confidence in Brazil’s trajectory at the 2026 World Cup. “You have the moral authority, right now, that no Brazilian coach has,” he said.
He also joked with the Italian, asking him to coach Corinthians, a club he supports, after his contract with the CBF ended.
Brazil takes the field at 7pm against the Morocco team. Globo, SBT, SporTV, CazéTV, ge tv and N Sports broadcast the match.
The match will be the 13th game for the Canarian team with the European on the bench. The coach must send an unprecedented lineup to the field against Morocco.
The team must start the match with Alisson in goal; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Alex Sandro in defense; Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães and Lucas Paquetá in midfield; and Matheus Cunha, Raphinha and Vinicius Jr. in attack.
The game marks the beginning of the Brazilian trajectory. In the group stage, the team will also face Haiti, next Friday (19), at 9:30 pm, and Scotland, on June 24, at 7 pm.
