While Carlo Ancelotti is poised to take charge of Brazil, murmurs from within Real Madrid suggest that his departure is anything but permanent.

Carlo Ancelotti is swapping Real Madrid for Brazil in one of the biggest moves in world soccer. The problem is, neither he, nor Madrid, want to talk about it.

One year out from the World Cup, Brazil simply do not have a team. There is no tactical blueprint — no great surprise, given there have been three different coaches since January 2023 — and no consensus about personnel beyond two or three key players. This is not a case of building on existing foundations, because there are none.