With a certain urgency, Brazil set about warming up their prolonged flirt with Carlo Ancelotti. And on Monday, the white smoke emerged. The new Pope may be from the United States,

One year out from the World Cup, Brazil simply do not have a team. There is no tactical blueprint — no great surprise, given there have been three different coaches since January 2023 — and no consensus about personnel beyond two or three key players. This is not a case of building on existing foundations, because there are none.

Carlo Ancelotti faces myriad problems as Brazil coach and only has about a dozen games to resolve them before the World Cup if he wants to have a decent shot at the 2026 title.