At the hydration break during Brazil's round-of-16 match against Norway, Carlo Ancelotti saw what he believed to be a loss of control. That moment, he explained in an ESPN interview, became the flashpoint for Brazil's early World Cup exit.
According to Ancelotti, Norway had been dominating possession in their own half up until that point. He admitted he felt the need to change the team's structure during the break, leading to a shift in momentum.
The coach defended his decision to bring on Neymar shortly before stoppage time in the second half. Ancelotti emphasized that Neymar had trained well and played with good attitude. He felt his presence could add quality to the attack.
Still, he admitted the substitution came at a cost. 'I shouldn't have changed the team's structure,' Ancelotti said. The adjustment led to Haaland's goal in the 80th minute, which he described as difficult to recover from in a tournament of that magnitude.
While he credited Neymar's impact, Ancelotti did not directly tie the substitutions involving Gabriel Martinelli and Rayan to the team's loss. His focus remained on the tactical reshuffle he admitted might have been misplaced.