Mexico is preparing to make history as the first nation to host football's biggest tournament three times. But Mexico is also making a bold claim: "The ball comes home." Why? As many historians believe the world's first ball games were played in Mesoamerica more than 3,500 years ago. After centuries in the shadows, those ancient games are making a comeback. FRANCE 24's Laurence Cuvillier and Quentin Duval report from Mexico City.
Carlo Ancelotti already has a clear vision for how Brazil should play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to Vinicius Junior. In just 17 days, Brazil will make their debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Morocco at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in a Group C matchup. It will mark the beginning of Carlo Ancelotti’s first major challenge at the international level, with a tactical approach revealed by Vinicius. “We’re going to do an excellent job. We’re going to defend very well and try to hit on the counterattack. That’s what the coach always asks from us,” Vini said during an interview with CazeTV shared this week. The revelation is significant because it signals a major shift from the style traditionally associated with the national team. Great Brazil squads of the past relied heavily on possession and the creativity of attacking midfielders who defined the team’s identity, with players like Kaka, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo serving as some of the clearest examples in recent decades. Now, however, the team is built around different types of players. Brazil’s biggest stars in this era are Vinicius and Raphinha, wingers whose greatest strengths are not ball possession but rather individual skill and speed in open space. Raphinha of Brazil. That appears to be the evaluation Ancelotti made when choosing the strategy Brazil will use at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The idea is to become defensively solid — something that has not always been a strength for the national team — and then exploit the spaces left by opponents to maximize the qualities of the forwards. Vinicius trusts Ancelotti Vinicius Junior is undoubtedly the Brazilian player who knows Carlo Ancelotti best. It was under the Italian coach that he reached his highest level at Real Madrid, winning two UEFA Champions League titles together. Now, they will try to replicate that success with Brazil. During the same interview with CazeTV, Vini said Ancelotti’s “experience, background, and titles mean a lot.” With the coach’s guidance, he believes the team can have an “excellent World Cup and change Brazil’s history after so long without winning.” That journey will begin on June 13, when Brazil open their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Morocco in the first Group C match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Six days later they will face Haiti, before wrapping up the group stage on June 24 against Scotland.
There is no shortage of entertainers in Carlo Ancelotti’s picks for this summer’s tournament. They’ll also need a solid base if they are to win a sixth titleIn their attacking heyday, Brazil never struggled to find a winning complement in defence. Individual attacking brilliance only comes off if others nearby are doing the hard yards; for every Ronaldinho, there is a Roque Júnior.The current generation doesn’t lack entertainers. Of Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man squad for the World Cup, which was announced on Monday, nine players are listed as attackers, a high number for most squads, with nine defenders left to sweat their responsibilities whenever possession changes hands. Continue reading...
