The pursuit of the hexa – a historic sixth World Cup crown – drags on. Sunday’s 2-1 round‑of‑16 defeat by Norway means Brazil have now gone six consecutive tournaments without lifting the trophy. Back home, some are already calling this streak the reverse hexa.
Unsurprisingly, the reaction in Brazil has been savage. Neto, a former international turned pundit on Radio Bandeirantes, tore into the current crop of players. “This is a generation that has achieved nothing,” he said. “Six of them have one Copa América to their name and nothing else. It was embarrassing from the start and everything that went on before that match. A shameful campaign – these players are failures. A generation built on lies.”
Carlo Ancelotti, who earned praise for his changes during Brazil’s 2-1 win over Japan in the last 32, has not escaped the fury. Cahê Mota, writing for Globoesporte, argued that the manager’s substitutions against Norway only made the team worse: “The Seleção are out of the World Cup and Ancelotti’s plan collapsed. Brazil opted for a booby‑trap game: they handed the ball to Norway and gambled on fast transitions. It hardly worked.
“Bruno Guimarães’s missed penalty would have given the match a different shape, but the Seleção bet heavily on a style that clashes with their tradition and they lacked a killer instinct when chances came. There is no point in regret. You cannot claim there was an injustice. You cannot even say they lost but still played like Brazil.”
Brazil recorded just 34% possession against Norway – their lowest figure in a World Cup fixture since records began in 1966. That statistic is a source of shame for Mauro Cezar Pereira, one of the country’s leading analysts. “It is disgraceful to see a Brazil side, which for years has leant on marketing slogans like ‘joga bonito’, adopt a strategy of giving the ball to the opponent and playing only on the transition,” he said. He believes this “cowardly” approach will never sit well with Brazilians, adding: “The poor standard of Carlo Ancelotti’s work is humiliating.”
Calls for Ancelotti to be dismissed have grown, while the national federation is also being criticised for handing him a new four‑year contract just months before the tournament. The manager’s handling of Neymar has divided supporters. Neymar’s admirers believe that had he started the game he would have converted Brazil’s first‑half penalty and altered the course of the tie.
His critics, however, are convinced that sending on the country’s all‑time leading scorer was the decision that hurt Ancelotti the most. Neymar moved into the central striking role, pushing Vinícius Júnior and Endrick out wide.
“That was what decided the match,” said Mauro. “From the moment he came on, Norway had even more of the ball. They attacked more and built moves until they scored. With Neymar, Endrick and Vinícius, Brazil became even weaker in the physical battle, in the fight for possession, and were completely overrun by the Norwegians. Suicide.”
Neymar made his international debut in New Jersey in 2010, in a friendly against the USA. Now, 130 caps and 80 goals later, he has announced his retirement from international football. “I gave it my all,” he said. “It started here at MetLife Stadium and it finishes here. It is over now.”
Many in Brazil would welcome a full reset, with Neymar, Casemiro and their generation stepping aside. The more hopeful fans want the country to start producing midfielders and full-backs the way it did in bygone eras. The immediate priority is the Copa América in two years’ time, which is also likely to be held in the United States. If Ancelotti fares as badly at that tournament as he did at this World Cup, do not expect him to see out his £8.5m‑a‑year deal.
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