According to reports, Cafu, the Brazilian legend, symbolizes an era of the Brazil national team that no longer exists. He captained “Canarinho” in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, securing Brazil’s fifth world title. Now, over two decades later, Brazil, no longer among the top contenders, faces a prolonged championship drought.

This situation has led to an unprecedented idea: hiring a foreign coach like Carlo Ancelotti. Brazil has never had a foreign coach in its history, prompting Cafu, who played 166 matches under Ancelotti and considers him a “father, friend, and brother,” to view this idea with skepticism.

Cafu, who won the Champions League with AC Milan under Ancelotti in 2007, spoke about the Brazil national team’s loss of identity and competitiveness. Negotiations with Ancelotti, whom Cafu calls “Professor,” have stalled but are not entirely ruled out. This has added pressure to the Brazil team, which now stands only on its historical reputation.

Cafu addressed rumors of Ancelotti joining Brazil, stating that Real Madrid has always warmly welcomed him and other Brazilians, and he is grateful for this affection. However, the final decision rests with the Brazilian Football Confederation and Real Madrid, and nothing is confirmed yet.

He stressed that Brazil’s coach does not need to speak Portuguese, as “football is the only language that encompasses all languages.” Nevertheless, Cafu takes pride in Brazil’s tradition of using domestic coaches and recalled that Brazil is the only country to win the World Cup five times without a foreign coach.

For the 2026 World Cup, Cafu prefers a Brazilian coach to have a year and a half to build a competitive team.

He believes that for the 2030 World Cup, where there is more preparation time, a foreign coach could be considered. However, Cafu is confident that Brazil will participate in the 2026 World Cup, whether they perform well or not. He described Ancelotti as an extraordinary coach who, at Milan, was more than just a manager and had the ability to read the game and manage players perfectly.

Cafu believes Ancelotti, who has succeeded everywhere he has gone, could lead Brazil to victory, but the tradition of Brazilian coaches remains his priority.