Melo Slams Brazil's World Cup Debut: 'Morocco Was Much Better'

Felipe Melo, a former Brazilian national team midfielder and current commentator, has sharply criticized the performance of Carlo Ancelotti's squad in their 2026 World Cup debut, which ended in a 1-1 tie with Morocco. Melo questioned the coach's initial lineup choices, asserting that Ancelotti "made a mistake with the eleven."

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You can't cover the sun with your finger.

Speaking on the program Seleção Copa, Melo insisted that the team's debut performance could not be glossed over, stating, "You can't cover the sun with your finger." He felt the team displayed a level far below expectations for a tournament favorite.

Melo specifically pointed to Ancelotti's tactical decisions, arguing that the starting formation hampered the team from the outset. He cited the inclusion of Ibañez as a starter, suggesting the player, while good, was out of position and that the team improved significantly after his substitution. "He's a very good player, but he's not a full-back. It was his first game in that position, and they put him as a center-back," Melo observed.

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Ancelotti is one of the greatest in history, but you can't look the other way. He started with wrong initial eleven: Ibañez couldn't be a starter. He comes out and the team improves a lot. He's a very good player, but he's not a full-back. It was his first game in that position and they put him as a center-back.

While acknowledging Vinicius Jr. as Brazil's standout player, Melo declared, "Morocco was much better, even in defensive organization." He noted that the defensive cohesion, praised in a previous match against Egypt, was absent against Morocco. Melo also questioned why young talent Endrick was not given an opportunity to play.

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Morocco was much better, even in defensive organization... There was no organization. We have a team that is too strong for that. It's a very strong team for that.

"What cannot happen is that Brazil shows indifference to everything that is happening, that they concede a goal in the way they did," Melo stated, describing a lack of intensity and defensive disarray. He emphasized that Brazil possesses a strong enough squad to avoid such lapses. Coach Ancelotti himself admitted the team needed to improve, expressing visible frustration after the match, as Brazil faces Haiti and Scotland next in Group C.

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What cannot happen is that Brazil shows indifference to everything that is happening, that they concede a goal in the way they did. That is not Brazil: three players in the middle looking, Brahim giving a good pass and the defense disorganized.