Carlo Ancelotti Calls for Mental Resilience After Brazil's Shock Loss to Japan
Following Brazil's stunning 3-2 loss to Japan, their first-ever defeat to the Asian side, coach Carlo Ancelotti emphasized the need for his players to build mental resilience. This crucial match exposed areas for improvement as Brazil prepares for the 2026 World Cup.
“No, everything is not fine. When the team loses, we are upset, which is normal. Everyone is upset...”
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti urged his players to develop greater mental resilience after their 3-2 defeat to Japan in Tokyo. This loss marked Brazil's first-ever defeat to the Asian side.
Ancelotti emphasized the need for his team to learn from the errors that led to Japan's stunning second-half comeback. “We have to learn from this defeat, as we always do in football,” he said. The Italian coach highlighted that Brazil controlled the game until Fabricio Bruno's mistake on the first goal, which led to the team falling apart mentally.
Ancelotti dismissed the notion that individual mistakes would affect player selection for the World Cup. Instead, he focused on the team's collective response, stating that individual errors don't define a player's presence in the team. What matters is how the team reacts after mistakes, which Ancelotti felt wasn't good enough in this case.
Brazil's next fixtures are friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia in November, to be played in England and France respectively. Ancelotti sees these matches as testing periods, saying, “We will continue testing in November.” He aims to find balance and learn from mistakes before the World Cup.
Since taking the reins in May, Carlo Ancelotti has prioritized building a resilient and adaptable Brazilian team, aiming to rectify the inconsistencies that marred their World Cup qualifying campaign. Despite signs of improvement in recent matches, Brazil's 3-2 defeat to Japan exposed vulnerabilities that need addressing, particularly regarding their mental fortitude.
FT: Japan 3-2 Brazil.
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) October 14, 2025
CARLO ANCELOTTI HAS NOW LOST 2 GAMES WITH BRAZIL ALREADY, VS BOLIVIA AND NOW VS JAPAN! ❌🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/iqIluiyhVs
The decision to field a heavily rotated side against Japan, coming off a 5-0 thrashing of South Korea, has raised eyebrows. Ancelotti's approach was likely aimed at giving his players a break and testing his squad's depth. However, the Italian coach must now reassess his strategy and work on shoring up his team's weaknesses, particularly in defense and mental toughness.
“No, everything is not fine. When the team loses, we are upset, which is normal. Everyone is upset. I don't like to lose, and neither do the players. We have to learn from this defeat, as we always do in football,” Ancelotti told a press conference.
“Until (Fabricio) Bruno's mistake on the first goal, the game was well controlled. After that, the team fell apart mentally. That was the team's biggest mistake,” he said.
“I don't think the second half was bad overall, but the error had too much of an impact on the players.”
Ancelotti downplayed concerns that individual mistakes would impact World Cup squad selection, emphasizing instead the team's collective response to errors. He stressed that what's crucial is how the team reacts and learns from mistakes, rather than dwelling on individual lapses.
“Individual mistakes do not affect a player's presence in the team. What we have to evaluate is the team's reaction after the first mistake, which was not good because we lost a little of our balance on the pitch, and our positive thinking. It's a good lesson for the future,” he said.
Brazil's next fixtures are friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia in November, to be played in England and France, respectively.
“This and the next international break are testing periods, and we will continue testing in November,” Ancelotti said.
“The team played very well against Korea, well in the first half today, and very poorly in the second half.
“In the World Cup, we have to strike a balance. We must learn from our mistakes. It was a good lesson tonight. I think we need to find a balance in what we do. It's a process...”
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