It's a league of good level, with many capable players
Com Carlo Ancelotti à frente da seleção brasileira desde junho, a convocação para os amistosos contra Senegal e Tunísia revela mais do que uma lista de nomes: ela reflete uma filosofia de construção paciente, na qual o técnico italiano busca conhecer o terreno antes de traçar o caminho. Ao incluir sete jogadores do Brasileirão, Ancelotti não apenas reconhece a qualidade do futebol doméstico, mas sinaliza que a grandeza de uma seleção se constrói também de dentro para fora. Esses dois jogos encerram o ano de 2025 e representam, mais do que resultados, um laboratório em movimento.
- A derrota histórica para o Japão — a primeira de toda a história entre as seleções — deixou uma marca que nenhum placar de treino apaga.
- Sete convocados do Brasileirão criam um debate imediato: é reconhecimento do futebol nacional ou sinal de limitações no elenco disponível?
- Luciano Juba, do Bahia, surge como o nome mais observado da lista — um jogador ainda fora do radar consolidado de Ancelotti, agora colocado sob avaliação direta.
- O técnico admite abertamente que ainda está aprendendo sobre seus jogadores, transformando cada convocação em um exercício de descoberta tanto quanto de preparação.
- Com 55,5% de aproveitamento em seis jogos, Ancelotti encerra 2025 com mais perguntas do que respostas — e parece confortável com isso.
Na tarde de segunda-feira, Carlo Ancelotti apresentou na sede da CBF no Rio de Janeiro a lista de convocados para os amistosos contra Senegal, em Londres, e Tunísia, em Lille, nos dias 15 e 19 de novembro. O que chamou atenção não foram os nomes consagrados, mas os sete atletas convocados diretamente do Brasileirão — entre eles Alex Sandro e Danilo, do Flamengo, Hugo Souza, do Corinthians, e Fabrício Bruno, do Cruzeiro. O destaque da lista foi Luciano Juba, do Bahia, um nome que Ancelotti quer avaliar de perto nesta janela.
Desde que assumiu o comando em junho, o técnico italiano acumula três vitórias, dois empates e uma derrota em seis jogos — incluindo uma goleada de 5 a 0 sobre a Coreia do Sul e uma virada japonesa por 3 a 2 que entrou para a história como a primeira derrota do Brasil diante do Japão. Resultados que, mesmo em amistosos, deixam rastros.
Na coletiva, Ancelotti foi direto: ele ainda está conhecendo seus jogadores, e o Brasileirão tem qualidade suficiente para fornecer opções reais. Vitor Roque, no Palmeiras, é um exemplo de atleta em ascensão que merece atenção. A presença de sete jogadores do campeonato nacional não é concessão — é método. Com esses dois jogos, o Brasil encerra o calendário de 2025, e Ancelotti segue montando seu quebra-cabeça, peça por peça.
Carlo Ancelotti walked into the CBF headquarters in Rio de Janeiro on Monday afternoon with a squad list that told a story about where Brazilian football stands right now. The national team would face Senegal on November 15th at Emirates Stadium in London, then Tunisia four days later in Lille. These were meant to be preparation matches, the kind where a coach tests depth and takes measured risks before the calendar turns serious again.
What caught attention was not the names of the established stars—those were there, as expected—but rather the seven players Ancelotti had pulled directly from the Brasileirão. Flamengo, the league's vice-leader and Copa Libertadores finalist, contributed two of them: Alex Sandro and Danilo. Corinthians sent Hugo Souza. Cruzeiro offered Fabrício Bruno. Vasco, Bahia, and Palmeiras each had a representative. The Bahia player, Luciano Juba, was the headline addition—a name Ancelotti wanted to evaluate in this window, someone not yet fully integrated into the coach's thinking.
Ancelotti had been in charge since June, and the numbers told a mixed story. Six matches played. Three wins, two losses, one draw. A 55.5 percent win rate that suggested progress but not dominance. The most recent window had brought a 5-0 demolition of South Korea in Seoul, followed by a 3-2 reversal against Japan in Tokyo—a loss that stung differently because it marked Brazil's first defeat to the Japanese in their entire history of meetings. That kind of result, even in a friendly, leaves marks.
In the press conference after announcing the squad, Ancelotti spoke about what he was doing. He acknowledged that he had rotated heavily in recent matches, testing combinations and getting to know his players more deeply. "I didn't know many of them when I arrived," he said. The Brasileirão, he insisted, was not a second-tier competition. It had substance. It had players capable of performing at this level. Vitor Roque at Palmeiras was playing well. Luciano Juba warranted a closer look. Seven domestic players in a squad for friendlies was not a compromise—it was a statement about the league's quality and a practical way to evaluate options.
These two matches would close out Brazil's calendar for 2025. After that, the focus would shift. Ancelotti was building something, testing it, learning it. The wins and losses mattered less than the information he was gathering. A coach in his position, newly arrived and still assembling his understanding of available talent, needed these moments. The Brasileirão was giving them to him.
Notable Quotes
I didn't know many of them when I arrived. In this call-up, I have players like Luciano Juba that I want to evaluate, Vitor Roque, who is having a good season. We have seven players from the Brasileirão. It's a competition of good level, with many players capable of being here.— Carlo Ancelotti
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why bring in seven domestic players for friendlies? Isn't that usually when you rest your stars?
Ancelotti's only been here since June. He's still learning who these players are. These matches let him see them in action without the pressure of a qualifier.
But Flamengo just lost the Libertadores final. Wouldn't their players be exhausted?
Maybe. But they're also sharp, match-fit, playing at the highest level. That's exactly what he wants to test against.
Luciano Juba from Bahia—is he a surprise, or was he on the radar?
A surprise in the sense that he's not a household name outside Brazil. But Ancelotti specifically said he wanted to evaluate him. That's the whole point of these friendlies.
The loss to Japan bothered people, didn't it?
It did. First time ever. But Ancelotti seems focused on the process, not the result. He's gathering information.
What does a 55.5 percent win rate tell you about where Brazil is right now?
That they're in transition. Not broken, not dominant. A coach working through something.