After finishing first in their group, Brazil is preparing for their first knockout match in the 2026 World Cup, and Carlo Ancelotti expressed that he is quite ‘confident’ in defeating Japan in the Round of 16, while also praising the opponent, for whom he has the ‘utmost respect.’ ‘It’s not a knockout; it’s just kill. There is no second game. Brazil is fortunate to have very experienced players in this aspect. The team has a lot of wisdom for this type of game. In that regard, I am very confident,’ he began to explain in a press conference, also recalling the friendly match between the two teams in October 2025, where the Japanese won 3-2. ‘It was a good experience for us. To understand how competitive Japan is. They also defeated England in March. We have total respect for them and prepared for the game like a final, because it is a final. They are strong, but we are aware that we need to play well in the match. As you remember, Japan beat us in November. They played very well in the second half. Obviously, now we have to take that into account. We need to respect their team,’ he explained, denying that he is on the easier side of the knockout phase. ‘I disagree. Every game is very difficult. There are many things we need to think about. There is a lot of pressure. We need to focus on each game. If we are not good tomorrow, we go home. I remain convinced that so far there is no clear favorite. Some teams may have performed better in this first phase, but I don’t see a clear favorite. It’s a very balanced World Cup,’ he assured. Finally, he addressed Neymar’s physical condition, who returned to play for the national team in the last match. ‘Neymar is progressing very well. I believe he improved a lot in the last week. It’s a shame he couldn’t train with us all the time. Obviously, he can play more than 15 minutes. It depends a lot on the context of tomorrow’s game,’ he admitted. Captain Marquinhos, alongside Ancelotti, praised the opponent. ‘Against Japan, it will be the most special game. A very difficult match, but we are ready. We did our work and know what we need to do to effectively neutralize this very qualified team. They have earned their place here. We started the competition, perhaps, not in the best way in the first game, but then we improved in the second, and even more in the third. So we need to bring all our experience to this competition,’ he said.
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