Published On 5/7/2026
Italian Carlo Ancelotti, coach of the Brazilian national team, confirmed that his defense line does not need any special instructions on how to paralyze the movement of Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, ahead of the expected confrontation between the two teams in the round of 16 of the World Cup.
Haaland (25 years old) is at the top of the candidates to win the Golden Boot award at the World Cup, after he succeeded in scoring 5 goals in 3 matches. The lethal striker will face a renewed confrontation against a familiar competitor, Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes, as the Manchester City star and the Arsenal defender resume their fierce and intense struggle in the English Premier League, but this time on the territory of the American state of New Jersey, with a bet of snatching the ticket to the quarter-finals.
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Moreover, the other centre-back and captain of the “Seleção”, Marquinhos, has previous experience facing Haaland during the Champions League competitions.
In this regard, Ancelotti commented on how to deal with the Norwegian star, who in his international career has a terrifying scoring record of 60 goals in 53 matches, saying: “Everyone knows how to play. I have nothing to explain to my defenders about how to confront him, as it is clear that they played against him on several occasions.” The Italian coach added clearly: “I do not think there is such a thing as an anti-Haaland plan, and I do not need to tell my players how to defend against him.”
The midfield battle and the climate challenge
For his part, Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes seems to know Haaland’s abilities closely, following the confrontations that brought them together in the Premier League stadiums when he was playing for Newcastle United. It is expected that Guimaraes will have a pivotal role in cutting off supply lines and preventing balls from reaching the Norwegian striker.
This defensive task in depth is doubly important due to the absence of playmaker Lucas Paqueta due to injury, which forces the Brazilian technical staff to rearrange its midfield cards.
Guimaraes said in this context: “We have to prevent the ball from reaching his feet. We have to attack, but ensure that he is closely monitored, because just one ball from him could decide the course of the match.”
In addition to the technical conflict, the difficult climate prevails over the meeting. The region is witnessing serious warnings of a severe heat wave, and although temperatures are expected to drop on Sunday, the weather will play an influential role in the course of the game. Nearby New York City recorded a perceived temperature index (which combines heat and humidity) of 105 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) on Friday afternoon, although the weather witnessed a relative improvement during the two teams’ final training sessions on Saturday.
Guimaraes commented on the weather conditions, saying: “I do not think that any of the players are accustomed to playing in such high temperatures. It will be a very strong physical match, and it is very important that all the players are at their highest levels of readiness, including the substitutes who must enter the field fully energetic and fresh.”
The return of Rafinha and the double between Vinicius and Neymar
In a related context, Ancelotti pointed out that the comeback that the Brazilian team achieved against Japan in the round of 32 gave the team members a morale boost and greater confidence before their clash with Norway.
The Italian coach added: “We must present our best levels, and I believe that we are in a position that allows us to do so because we have complete confidence. We have overcome a difficult and complex test against Japan, and we are prepared for all possible scenarios, just as we were in our last match.”
Ancelotti also revealed the possibility of winger Rafinha’s name being included in the match roster, after he missed the previous two matches due to a thigh injury. He explained: “Rafinha is making great progress in his rehabilitation program. He is not 100% physically fit, but he may be on the bench to participate for a few minutes.” The former Real Madrid coach continued: “His recovery is going very quickly and well, and we are very happy about that. Rafinha remains an influential and very important player for our system.”
At the conclusion of his statements, Ancelotti left the door open to the possibility of fielding the two stars Vinicius Junior and Neymar da Silva together in the squad against Norway. Vinicius leads the Brazilian attack with great effectiveness in this World Cup, scoring 4 goals, while the country’s all-time top scorer, Neymar, only participated for a few minutes as a substitute due to an injury he suffered in his calf.
Ancelotti concluded his speech by saying: “Yes, Neymar and Vinicius can play together at some stage in the match, and I believe they will do so.”
