Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has dismissed suggestions that his side will create a special tactical plan to stop Erling Haaland when the Selecao face Norway in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16.
The five-time world champions take on Norway at MetLife Stadium on Sunday with a place in the quarter-finals at stake, but Ancelotti insists Brazil’s focus will be on overcoming the Scandinavian side as a team rather than concentrating solely on their prolific striker.
Brazil earned their place in the knockout fixture after topping Group C before producing a dramatic comeback victory over Japan in the Round of 32.
Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time winner kept their dream of a sixth World Cup title alive.
However, Norway present another formidable obstacle, led by one of world football’s most feared forwards in Manchester City star Haaland.
Despite the striker’s goalscoring reputation, Ancelotti remains calm about the challenge awaiting his defenders.
“I don’t think that there is such a thing as an ‘anti-Haaland’ plan,” Ancelotti said at a press conference.
“I don’t need to tell my players how to defend; they have faced each other a few times.”
The experienced Italian believes Brazil’s defensive unit already possesses the quality and experience required to deal with elite attackers.
“Our team is in an optimal condition. However, we need to continue improving.”
Ancelotti also stressed that defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Marquinhos are already familiar with Haaland’s style after facing him regularly at club level.
“Everyone knows how he (Haaland) works. I have nothing to explain to my defenders how to play against him.
“They have obviously played against him several times, so we are only focused on being well prepared for the match, understanding the basic characteristics of the opponent and we know that they are very dangerous offensively.”
While Haaland remains Norway’s biggest threat, Ancelotti warned against underestimating the overall strength of the Scandinavian side.
“Norway is a challenging team, a team that has structure, has very good organisation, so we have to play at our best level, but I think we are at a time when we can play at our best level, because we are confident and have come out of a challenging last match against Japan.”
Brazil will, however, be without midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who sustained a hamstring injury during the victory over Japan.
There is better news regarding Raphinha, with the Barcelona forward expected to return to contention after recovering from a thigh problem.
With Brazil chasing a record-extending sixth FIFA World Cup title and Norway dreaming of another famous upset, Sunday’s clash promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the Round of 16.
While Haaland will naturally command plenty of attention, Ancelotti’s message is clear—Brazil are preparing for Norway as a complete team, not just one extraordinary striker.
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