In a surprising twist, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has ended talks with Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti, who's currently in charge of Real Madrid, to coach the Brazil national team, according to sports outlet 'Ge' from the Globo group.

Madrid won’t let Ancelotti go

Even though there was a deal in place, the CBF pulled out “after Real Madrid made his release difficult,” according to journalists André Rizek and Cahê Mota. The new favorite to take over the Seleção is now Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, who currently manages Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, the same outlet said both parties were just waiting for the Spanish club’s green light to make things official in June. But Ancelotti has a contract with Madrid until 2026, and no agreement was reached on the buyout clause.

Ancelotti may have changed his mind

Spanish outlets are saying Ancelotti also got a huge offer from Saudi Arabia, which may have made him rethink his plans to coach the five-time world champs. When asked by EFE, the CBF didn’t comment on the situation. If true, this would be the second time the coach from Reggiolo turns down Brazil. He’s been the top choice for CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues ever since Tite left after the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

The Seleção still hasn’t found stability and is going through a rough patch, the latest being a tough 4-1 loss to Argentina that got Dorival Júnior fired. Right now, Brazil is fourth in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, six points ahead of Venezuela, the first team outside the direct qualification zone.