Carlo Ancelotti was given a light-hearted birthday moment by his Brazil squad as they continued preparations for their opening match at the 2026 World Cup.
Sky Sports Football posted footage on June 11 showing Ancelotti running the gauntlet during Brazil training.
The clip came after Ancelotti, who was born on June 10, 1959, had turned 67 this week. It was a relaxed moment around Brazil before their World Cup campaign begins against Morocco .
The footage showed Ancelotti jogging through a line of Brazil players as the squad marked the occasion at training.
Brazil players marked the occasion by forming a line and playfully patting their manager as he made his way through.
The moment took place during training in New Jersey, where Brazil have been preparing for the start of the tournament.
It gave Ancelotti a public birthday moment with his squad before attention moves fully to the pitch.
Brazil are now close to their first match of the 2026 World Cup. They open against Morocco on June 13.
The birthday clip fitted with the public message Ancelotti has carried into the tournament. He has described Brazil as a focused, concentrated, humble and selfless group.
Ancelotti also said his idea was focused on the collective, rather than the individual.
That context made the training-ground birthday moment more than a novelty clip, without overstating its meaning. Brazil begin the tournament in Group C alongside Morocco, Haiti and Scotland .
Their opening match against Morocco will quickly shift the mood from celebration to competition.
For Ancelotti, the birthday gauntlet was a small personal moment at the start of a far bigger assignment with Brazil.
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