Ancelotti aims to end Brazil's 24-year World Cup drought

Carlo Ancelotti finally arrived at the press conference in Miami a little after 21:00 local time, nearly two hours later than initially scheduled. Hundreds of journalists waited to hear his thoughts on Brazil's World Cup meeting with Scotland on Wednesday. But questions about Scotland were few and far between.

The Brazilian media wanted to know about Neymar, the country's record goalscorer set to play in the famous yellow jersey for the first time in almost three years. They sought Ancelotti's insights on Vinicius Jnr, the Real Madrid superstar seen as Brazil's best hope for the kind of fireworks Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have been producing at this World Cup. They pressed for details on Ancelotti's project to turn a group of talented individuals into a team capable of ending Brazil's 24-year wait for a World Cup title. Coincidentally, the last time Brazil endured such a barren run, they ended it in the United States, when Romario, Bebeto and company led the Samba Boys to victory at USA '94.

Neymar's long-awaited return

Neymar, 34, has not played for Brazil since October 2023 and missed the 1-1 draw with Morocco in the Group C opener due to injury. His selection ahead of Chelsea's Joao Pedro sparked debate in Brazil, as the former Barcelona and Paris St-Germain striker is not universally loved in his homeland despite being the nation's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals.

Ancelotti confirmed Neymar is ready to make his return against Scotland. "He is available. He trained very well this week. He is fit and ready to play," Ancelotti said. "We are very happy. He is a high-quality player. He can play half-time or the whole 90 minutes. He's very well, he worked very hard. So he is ready."

"His attitude is very good and he is in good spirits. He's a good player, team-mate, he's very serious and we want to put him back to play as soon as possible," Ancelotti added. "He brings experience, knowledge and is doing very well."

Vinicius Jr. as the catalyst

While Neymar's return draws attention, Vinicius Jr. may prove more crucial to Brazil's success. The winger has scored two goals in two games, including a fabulous equalizer when Brazil trailed 1-0 and struggled against Morocco's all-round excellence, preventing an underwhelming start from becoming more concerning.

"He's playing very well," said Ancelotti, who managed Vinicius at Real Madrid before taking over the Selecao in 2025. "We need to use him even though we have other fantastic players. We have experience, quality and legs. I'm completely satisfied [in] all of them."

"I have to put all the players to adapt to the style of the team," Ancelotti added.

Ancelotti's managerial legacy

Ancelotti's ability to manage superstars and egos into a cohesive unit is a hallmark of his career. He is the most decorated manager in Champions League history with five titles and the only man to win league championships in all of Europe's top five leagues. Leading Brazil to World Cup success would further elevate the Italian's claim as the greatest manager ever.

Scotland, who have managed just two shots on target in two group games, are unlikely to cause Ancelotti sleepless nights. But the veteran manager has been around long enough to show respect to his opponents.