For the thousands of Brazilian soccer fans who gathered along the famous Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, the stunning backdrop offered no comfort as they watched their beloved national team fall to Norway 2-1 in the World Cup round of 16 on Sunday.
The loss ended Brazil’s bid to claim a sixth world title — a quest that has now gone unfulfilled for 24 years since the squad last hoisted the trophy. The defeat also marked the worst World Cup result for the country since 1990 and stretched their championship drought to six tournaments in a row.
“I found it incredibly disappointing from start to finish,” said Patricia Ramalho, one of the many fans who had gathered at Copacabana to watch the match.
Supporters largely pointed to squandered opportunities as the root cause of the elimination. Midfielder Bruno Guimaraes had a chance to put Brazil ahead early but failed to convert a penalty kick in the first half.
Norway, meanwhile, made the most of their opportunities. Striker Erling Haaland scored twice in the second half, bringing his total to seven goals in the tournament — tied for the most of any player in this World Cup.
“The Selecao started well. They missed two scoring chances — a penalty and a near-goal by Endrick. Soccer punishes you. If you don’t score, you get scored against, and we ended up getting scored against,” said Renan Moreira, an actor who watched the match.
Brazilian manager Carlo Ancelotti, an Italian coach leading the national team — known as the “Selecao” — through a major tournament for the first time, also faced sharp criticism. Fans questioned his defensive strategy and the decisions he made during the game.
“Ancelotti has a defensive tactical approach — he doesn’t go on the attack. Our entire generation always played on the attack, scoring goals, controlling the ball,” said Bruno Rangel, who works in advertising.
Despite the early exit, Ancelotti is expected to remain in charge. The Brazilian Football Confederation, known as the CBF, announced in May that it had extended his contract, meaning he will lead the team into the next World Cup four years from now.
That decision has not sat well with some fans. “I disagree with renewing his contract for the next World Cup. We have to terminate the contract and let him go,” Rangel added.
