Brazil assistant coach Davide Ancelotti has explained the decision that saw Bruno Guimarães, rather than Vinicius Junior, step up to take the Seleção’s first penalty during their dramatic 2-1 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 defeat to Norway.
The decision has become one of the biggest talking points following Brazil’s shock elimination, with many supporters questioning why Vinicius ;Brazil’s top scorer at the tournament did not take responsibility from 12 yards when the opportunity presented itself.
Brazil were handed an early chance to take control of the knockout tie after Matheus Cunha was brought down inside the penalty area.
Although the referee initially waved play on, a VAR review overturned the decision and awarded the five-time world champions a penalty in the 14th minute.
As the Brazilian players gathered around the spot, Vinicius appeared ready to take the kick. However, in a surprising turn of events, the Real Madrid winger handed the ball to Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimarães, who had been designated as the team’s first-choice penalty taker before kick-off.
Guimarães failed to convert, with Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland producing an excellent save after reading the midfielder’s stuttering run-up.
The missed opportunity proved costly as Norway went on to produce one of the tournament’s biggest upsets, knocking Brazil out before the quarter-finals for the first time since the 1990 World Cup.
Speaking after the match, Davide Ancelotti, son of Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti and a member of the coaching staff, insisted the decision had been made long before the game started and was not influenced by Vinicius’ impressive scoring form.
“It was decided before the game that Bruno Guimarães should take the penalty,” Davide Ancelotti told reporters after the final whistle.
When asked whether the coaching staff regretted the decision following Guimarães’ miss, Ancelotti defended his player, stressing that missed penalties are part of football.
“To miss a penalty can happen in football. Today, it happened,” he said.
Despite the explanation, the decision is likely to remain a subject of debate among Brazilian supporters. Vinicius had arrived at the Round of 16 clash in outstanding form, scoring four goals in his first four World Cup appearances and emerging as Brazil’s most dangerous attacking threat.
The winger once again looked lively against Norway, stretching the Scandinavian defence with his pace and direct dribbling throughout the contest. However, the breakthrough refused to come as Nyland produced a string of crucial saves to frustrate the South American giants.
Carlo Ancelotti introduced Neymar in the second half in an attempt to rescue the match, and the veteran forward eventually converted Brazil’s second penalty deep into stoppage time. The goal saw Neymar join Pelé as only the second Brazilian player to score in four different FIFA World Cups.
By then, however, Norway had already built a decisive advantage, leaving Brazil with too much ground to recover.
Brazil’s elimination marks their earliest exit from a World Cup since Italia ’90 and extends their wait for a sixth global crown. The Seleção last lifted the famous trophy in 2002 and have now endured another painful knockout exit despite arriving in the United States as one of the tournament favourites.
While Davide Ancelotti stood by the pre-match penalty plan, the decision to overlook Vinicius for Brazil’s first spot-kick is certain to fuel discussions for days to come. Had Guimarães converted, the coaching staff’s strategy may never have been questioned. Instead, one missed penalty has become the defining moment of Brazil’s disappointing World Cup campaign.