Brazil find themselves stuck in the middle of an identity crisis – they are unreliable, and Carlo Ancelotti may have made one of his few career errors, writes IAN LADYMAN

For a country so deeply tied to World Cup history, it’s remarkable to think that Brazil hasn’t won the trophy in almost a quarter of a century. Carlo Ancelotti and his team will begin their campaign here in New Jersey tonight, bearing the weight of history on their golden shoulders.

Brazil and the World Cup. It’s hard to think of one without the other. But since Ronaldo, the original, struck twice to bury Germany in the 2002 final in Japan, the South Americans have never really come close to living up to their reputation.

They remain hot tickets. Today’s Group C opener is almost sold out; Seats for their match against Morocco at the MetLife Stadium became available on resale sites yesterday for around £2,000. Time will tell whether they can experience the excitement that always follows them in these tournaments.

First of all, there are the facts. Brazil’s qualifying efforts were extremely ordinary. They took fifth of the six places offered to the CONMEBOL confederation, losing six of 18 matches (including Paraguay and Bolivia) and finishing behind Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia and Uruguay.

Then there is expectation. Even the hiring of the calmest man in football (Ancelotti was appointed in May 2025) has failed to calm the storms of strife and disagreement that constantly affect the course of Brazilian football.

Brazilian great full-back Cafu, a member of the 2002 winning team, said this week: ‘Ancelotti brings tranquility and leadership.

Neymar called into action after two and a half years to give Brazilian people what they want

‘Brazil needs to rediscover its self-confidence and identity without giving up the creativity that has always characterized our football.’

It was like a vote of confidence in the Italian pilot, but it was also a challenge. You must win and win our way.

But for modern Brazil, it is actually the first part that is most important. They desperately need some respite, but ahead of what may not be a direct start, the South Americans find themselves stuck in the middle of an identity crisis that could unravel the challenges they face before they even begin.

Brazil scored just 24 goals in the qualifiers; this rate was under 1.5 per game. This doesn’t sit well with how they see themselves and Ancelotti has included nine forwards in his squad. But if they are to succeed in America, it may be a path that follows Ancelotti’s more pragmatic instincts.

The great icon Neymar is in the squad, but it is largely unknown for what reason. The former Barcelona and PSG forward has not played for his country in more than two and a half years. But Ancelotti’s decision to recall a 34-year-old player who is not sufficiently ready to play today reflects the pressure every Brazilian manager feels to give the football public exactly what it wants.

Footage of the two embracing when the Brazilian team gathered in camp last month was unconvincing. Did Ancelotti make one of the few big mistakes of his career by inviting the big dog home again? Can Neymar really exist comfortably in a squad where he is no longer the best player? These are questions that could weigh on Brazil’s chances of making any impact on this tournament.

Another bold but more understandable decision by Ancelotti was to recall former Manchester United midfielder Casemiro to the squad after an 18-month absence.

The former Real Madrid player can expect to feature alongside Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes in the center of midfield tonight; This will be a tough challenge for a 34-year-old who needs someone to do some of his running for him these days. The temperature is expected to be above 90 degrees when the match starts at 18:00 local time.

They look like they have the right manager to lead them in Carlo Ancelotti (left), but perhaps they don’t have the right group of players.

This Brazilian team is not short on talent and the 4-2-4 formation shows attacking intent. Meanwhile, two Champions League finalists, Arsenal’s Gabriel and PSG’s Marquinhos, will form an outstanding centre-half partnership, perhaps the best in the competition. The embrace they shared after Gabriel’s penalty shoot-out in the Budapest final was genuine and moving, and Brazil will not advance in this tournament without these two at the peak of their powers.

While Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior will make an attacking debut on the left wing against the Moroccan team, which is struggling with its own injuries, another United player, Matheus Cunha, hopes to take a place in the middle.

Ancelotti is not shy about talking up the talent at his disposal and has committed to the project, signing a contract extension that will take him to the next World Cup in 2030.

Likewise, he often talks about the necessity of sacrifice and unity. He even went so far as to say that he didn’t want attackers to come to America chasing individual awards and goalscoring records. If a coach feels the need to say something like that, it tells you most of what you need to know.

Brazil’s transition from this tournament could be relatively easy if they can get some movement right early on. Tonight’s match looks like a penalty shootout for the top of the group and the prize is significant. If Brazil finish top, they could face the likes of Japan or Sweden in the last 32 and 16 matches, followed by Norway or Senegal. If they finish second, they could face Spain or France much earlier in the tournament than they had hoped.

Ancelotti’s problem is that much of what the Brazilians have been doing lately has not been simple. They are unreliable and capricious, sometimes bordering on selfishness.

Brazil appears to have the right coach for this tournament. Whether they have the right mix of players is a harder question to answer. It’s harder than ever not to wonder what will happen to them when they don’t have the ball in their hands.

Which British star has 7 GCSEs? Who lost half their finger? Test your knowledge of Thomas Tuchel’s squad with our exclusive quiz HERE