After Brazil's penultimate warm-up match before the World Cup, Ancelotti praised Raphinha, calling him the best player in the world at making deep runs.
In the 6-2 victory over Panama at the Maracana, Raphinha played behind striker Cunha, with Vinicius on his left and Luis Enrique on his right. He had a lot of freedom to move around, frequently penetrating behind the opponent's defense. Ancelotti explained: "I asked him to position himself close to the opponent's defensive line."
The national team coach rejected the idea of converting him into a center forward. He stated: "For him, playing close to the defensive line and attacking from behind is the best option, but when the team has possession, I won't strictly define Raphinha's running areas." He values the Barcelona player's creativity and individual skills the most.