Ibrahimović backs Ancelotti to thrive with Brazil: 'A manager for the big stage'

Zlatan Ibrahimović has thrown his full support behind Carlo Ancelotti as Brazil prepare to open their 2026 World Cup campaign against Morocco, arguing the Italian’s ability to manage personalities — not just tactics — makes him uniquely equipped for the role.

“He’s a fantastic human being. I had him as a manager, not a coach,” Ibrahimović said. “The difference between coach and manager is, the coach will tell the player how to move, where to go and how to play. Instead, a manager will manage the player.”

Ibrahimović speaks from direct experience. He played under Ancelotti at Paris Saint-Germain during the 2012-13 season, scoring 35 goals in 48 appearances. To illustrate what sets Ancelotti apart, he recalled a conversation about how the Italian handled competition between two right-backs in the squad.

“I first asked him, ‘What do you do when you communicate with them?’” Ibrahimović said. “He said, ‘First I go to the first one, and I tell him he’s my best right back. Then I go to the other one, and I tell him also he’s my best right back. And he would play them each week.’” The anecdote captures the quiet psychological intelligence that has defined Ancelotti’s career across AC Milan, Chelsea, PSG and Real Madrid.

Ancelotti, who amassed 35 major titles as a club manager, took charge of Brazil in 2025 and faces a different kind of pressure at the World Cup — his first tournament leading a national side. Brazil are chasing a record sixth world title, and expectations on the five-time champions are enormous.

For Ibrahimović, the novelty of the challenge does not diminish Ancelotti’s credentials. “He has a different challenge this time because it is the first time he’s a coach for a national team and not a club team,” he said. “But he’s a manager for the big stage and he has done it before. I’m pretty sure he will do good.”

Ancelotti also has a personal motivation: the World Cup is the one major honour that eluded him as a player, having represented Italy at the 1990 tournament without lifting the trophy. At 65, he now has the chance to complete the set from the dugout.