Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti calls for mental resilience after his team’s shock 3-2 defeat to Japan, emphasizing the need to learn from mistakes ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti is urging his players to develop greater mental resilience after their shock 3-2 defeat to Japan in Tokyo on Tuesday.
This marks Brazil’s first-ever loss to the Asian side, and Ancelotti emphasized the need to learn from the errors that led to the hosts’ stunning second-half comeback.
The Italian coach highlighted that the team’s mental collapse after the first goal was the biggest mistake. “Until (Fabricio) Bruno’s mistake on the first goal, the game was well controlled. After that, the team fell apart mentally. That was the team’s biggest mistake,” Ancelotti said.
Despite the defeat, Ancelotti didn’t think the second half was bad overall, but the error had too much of an impact on the players. He emphasized that individual mistakes wouldn’t affect squad selection for the World Cup, focusing instead on the team’s collective response.
“What we have to evaluate is the team’s reaction after the first mistake, which was not good because we lost a little of our balance on the pitch, and our positive thinking. It’s a good lesson for the future,” Ancelotti said.
The Brazilian team’s next fixtures are friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia in November, to be played in England and France, respectively. Ancelotti views these matches as testing periods, essential for building the team’s mental resilience and adaptability.
“This and the next international break are testing periods, and we will continue testing in November,” Ancelotti said. “The team played very well against Korea, well in the first half today, and very poorly in the second half.”
Ancelotti’s focus is on building a team that is both adaptable and mentally robust. He believes that learning from mistakes is crucial for success in the World Cup. “In the World Cup, we have to strike a balance. We must learn from our mistakes. It was a good lesson tonight. I think we need to find a balance in what we do. It’s a process…”
