According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ancelotti firmly believes Vinicius can have an outstanding FIFA World Cup. Not just hope, but true belief.
He has repeatedly emphasized this in recent weeks while preparing for his FIFA World Cup debut. This afternoon, the Brazilian coach will attend with the most anticipated star at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to introduce tomorrow's match between Brazil and Morocco. This is also the first group stage match, and the most difficult one. The Real Madrid forward is defined as Brazil's most anticipated player. What about Neymar? Neymar was injured first. More importantly, at 34, although he can warm the hearts of Brazilian fans, he has been plagued by continuous injuries and years of indulgent living that even Ronaldinho would be ashamed of. He clearly cannot be the leader of this Brazilian team aiming for a sixth star. Vinicius wears the No. 7 jersey and has kept this number, leaving the No. 10 to Neymar without any issues.
This FIFA World Cup is crucial for Vinicius's life. When he returns to Madrid, he will also need to clarify some things with Mourinho, especially a few inappropriate remarks about racism and conduct. Those were made by the former Benfica coach in the aftermath of the "Prestiani incident." The Bernabéu also booed him this season. They accused him of publicly criticizing Xabi Alonso after winning the Clásico last October, which led to Alonso's dismissal. Many Real Madrid fans couldn't stand him. But later in the season, these critics realized that Mbappé's attitude was actually worse than Vinicius's, so they shifted their boos to the so-called "dictator."
The problem is that the forward from the favelas of São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro state, has always struggled in the national team. So far, he has only scored 9 goals in 49 matches, the same number as defensive midfielder Casemiro.
It remains to be seen who of the two will have a better FIFA World Cup. However, if France has a group of excellent attackers, it is clear that Vinicius can definitely be the best one in the Brazilian team. For Brazil to bring the trophy home from New Jersey, they must find someone who can score 5, 6, or 7 goals. Everyone is watching Vinicius, especially Ancelotti.
Now, Ancelotti is asking him to take another step forward. To help him do this, Ancelotti has been guiding him forward, and hopes that Vinicius will eventually soar as he did at Real Madrid.
When Ancelotti returned to Madrid in 2021, he found a frustrated, regressing, and heavily criticized Vinicius. Ancelotti transformed him in his own way: with love, trust, and respect. Vinicius repaid Ancelotti by scoring in two Champions League finals. The slogan for this FIFA World Cup from the Brazilian Football Confederation is "I Believe." Ancelotti has the same attitude towards Vinicius. Brazilians hope that the player with "junior" in his name will truly grow in the national team as well.