World Cup qualifier against Ecuador

at 5am Bangladesh time on Friday. This is the first time that club football's most successful coach has taken charge of a national team.

Ancelotti faces five challenges as he begins his new chapter. The 65-year-old Italian coach said upon arriving in Brazil that his sole goal was to bring the Selecao their sixth World Cup trophy. That means Brazil must first secure a place in the 2026 World Cup.

The top six teams from the

10-team Latin American region will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. Brazil are fourth in the points table with four matches remaining. Ancelotti's team will qualify for the World Cup if they win against Ecuador and Paraguay during this international break.

Ancelotti's second challenge is to find a world-class centre-forward. Brazil's current team lacks a goal machine like Ronaldo or Romario. Vinicius Junior and Rafinha are mainly wingers. Ancelotti can only play Richarlison as the traditional number nine. With Richarlison not at his best, the new coach will have to find an alternative quickly.

Ancelotti will also have to find

a creative midfielder. One of the reasons for Brazil's decline is the lack of creativity in midfield. Ancelotti relied on Toni Kroos and Luka Modric at Real Madrid. There is no such person in the Brazil team. Ancelotti will have to work with defensive midfielder Casemiro for now.

Ancelotti will also need fullbacks of the calibre of Cafu and Roberto Carlos to turn Brazil's shaky defence into a Chinese wall. The final challenge is to restore the fans' trust by presenting beautiful football.