The last chance to see how the pieces fit together
Com o Mundial no horizonte, Carlo Ancelotti chegou ao treino da seleção brasileira não apenas para preparar um amistoso, mas para fazer perguntas que só o campo pode responder. A convocação final está marcada para 18 de maio, e cada escolha tática — cada improvisação, cada aposta em jovens em forma — carrega o peso de sonhos e carreiras. O amistoso contra a Croácia, em Orlando, é menos um jogo do que um espelho: o momento em que o treinador olha para o grupo e tenta enxergar o time que quer levar ao torneio que define gerações.
- A lesão de Wesley abriu uma lacuna na lateral direita e forçou Ancelotti a improvisar Roger Ibañez, zagueiro de origem, numa posição que não é a sua — um sinal de que a seleção ainda busca soluções para peças fundamentais.
- A aposta em quatro atacantes simultâneos — Luiz Henrique, Matheus Cunha, Vinícius Júnior e João Pedro — revela uma ambição ofensiva que também é uma pergunta em aberto: o meio-campo reduzido aguenta o peso defensivo?
- Marquinhos, capitão e pilar da defesa, segue como dúvida após dor na coxa, e sua ausência contra a França já deixou a retaguarda exposta numa derrota por 2 a 1.
- Luiz Henrique e João Pedro chegam ao amistoso em alta — um após brilhar contra a França, o outro embalado por boas atuações no Chelsea — e disputam não só minutos, mas uma vaga no avião para o Mundial.
- O amistoso desta terça-feira em Orlando é o último ensaio antes do anúncio da lista final em 18 de maio: para muitos jogadores, pode ser a última chance de convencer o treinador.
Carlo Ancelotti chegou ao treino dominical com decisões a tomar e pouco tempo para tomá-las. O amistoso contra a Croácia estava a quatro dias, e a convocação para o Mundial, a menos de dois meses. Então o treinador italiano fez o que sabe fazer: experimentou.
A jogada mais reveladora foi escalar Roger Ibañez, zagueiro de formação, na lateral direita — posição deixada vaga pela lesão de Wesley. Não foi desespero, mas cálculo: uma forma de testar se Ibañez poderia oferecer solidez defensiva enquanto o time avançava com quatro atacantes. Luiz Henrique, Matheus Cunha, Vinícius Júnior e João Pedro formaram um quarteto ofensivo apoiado por apenas dois volantes — Casemiro e Danilo. Era uma formação construída para dominar pelo movimento, não pela cautela.
Luiz Henrique vinha em alta após o amistoso contra a França — uma derrota por 2 a 1 que, ainda assim, mostrou lampejos promissores. João Pedro chegava embalado por boas atuações no Chelsea. Os dois pareciam bem posicionados para ganhar minutos contra a Croácia e, quem sabe, uma vaga no Mundial.
As dúvidas, porém, persistiam. Marquinhos seguia incerto após dor na coxa, e a disputa entre Andrey Santos e Danilo pelo meio-campo adicionava mais uma camada de complexidade às escolhas do treinador. Ainda havia um treino na segunda-feira antes do jogo no Camping World Stadium, em Orlando. Para muitos jogadores, seria a última audição antes de 18 de maio — a data em que Ancelotti revelará quem vai ao torneio que realmente importa.
Carlo Ancelotti arrived at Brazil's training ground on Sunday with a notebook full of questions. The friendly against Croatia was four days away, and the Italian coach had decisions to make before the World Cup squad announcement in May. So he did what he does best: he experimented.
The most striking move came when Ancelotti slotted Roger Ibañez, a center-back by trade, into the right-back position. Wesley, who normally occupies that spot, had been ruled out by injury, leaving a gap that needed filling. Ibañez's deployment wasn't a panic move—it was a calculated test, a way to see if the defender could provide defensive solidity while the team pushed forward elsewhere.
The lineup that took shape during Sunday's session revealed Ancelotti's thinking. Ederson in goal, Ibañez on the right, Léo Pereira and Douglas Santos forming the back line, Casemiro and Danilo anchoring midfield. Then came the audacious part: four attackers. Luiz Henrique, Matheus Cunha, Vinícius Júnior, and João Pedro all started, with only two traditional midfielders behind them. It was a formation built for attacking intent, for teams that wanted to control the game through possession and movement rather than defensive caution.
Luiz Henrique's inclusion made sense. The second-striker had impressed in Brazil's midweek loss to France, a 2-1 defeat that nonetheless gave the coaching staff glimpses of what might work. João Pedro, meanwhile, was riding the confidence of strong performances at Chelsea. Both men seemed positioned to earn significant minutes against Croatia, and possibly a spot on the plane to the World Cup.
Yet uncertainty lingered. Marquinhos, the PSG captain and a pillar of Brazil's defense, remained a question mark. He'd missed the France match with thigh pain, and his availability for the Croatia game was still being assessed. In midfield, Andrey Santos and Danilo were competing for the same real estate, forcing Ancelotti to weigh their respective strengths. These weren't minor details—they were the kind of decisions that shape a team's identity.
The schedule gave Ancelotti one more opportunity to refine his thinking. Another training session was planned for Monday before the team took the field at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Tuesday evening. That friendly would be the last audition before May 18, when the final World Cup roster would be announced. Every touch, every decision, every formation tested in those final days could tip the balance for a player fighting for inclusion.
For Brazil, this wasn't just another warm-up match. It was the last chance to see how the pieces fit together before the tournament that matters.
Citas Notables
Luiz Henrique impressed in Brazil's midweek loss to France and is expected to earn significant minutes against Croatia— Reporting on player performance
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why move a center-back to right-back? Doesn't that seem like asking for trouble?
Wesley's injured, so you need someone there. But more than that, Ancelotti is asking a question: can we be flexible? Can we use our defensive depth in different ways? It's not desperation—it's preparation.
And the four-attacker setup—that's pretty aggressive for a friendly, isn't it?
It is, but this isn't really a friendly in the traditional sense. It's the last real test before the World Cup squad gets locked in. Ancelotti wants to see if that attacking shape can work, if those four players can coexist without leaving Brazil exposed.
Marquinhos being uncertain seems like a bigger problem than Ibañez at right-back.
Absolutely. Marquinhos is the captain, a leader. His thigh injury isn't just a physical thing—it's about whether Brazil's defensive core is healthy when it matters most. That's the real question mark.
So this match on Tuesday—it actually determines who goes to the World Cup?
Not entirely, but it's the last chance to make a case. If you're Luiz Henrique or João Pedro, you're playing for your future. If you're Marquinhos, you're proving you're fit. Every ninety minutes counts now.
What does Ancelotti learn from a friendly that he doesn't already know?
Chemistry under pressure. How players move together when they're tired. Whether a formation that looks good on the training ground actually works when the other team is trying to win. That's what you can't simulate in practice.