Cafú: “‘Jogo bonito’ no longer exists — today, only results matter”
The legendary Brazilian full-back spoke with AS in Mexico City. He expects a positive debut from the five-time world champion in New York against Morocco.
The last Brazilian captain to lift the World Cup, Cafú, spoke with AS just minutes before flying to the United States for Brazil’s match against Morocco at MetLife Stadium in New York this Saturday. The legendary right back — one of the best ever at his position — reflected on the state of Brazilian soccer and the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti as head coach of the Seleção.
“The jogo bonito doesn’t exist anymore. Today, what matters is the result. Ancelotti has a very strong European mentality; people have high expectations for his work, and he was hired for exactly that. He represents a new hope for Brazil to take a step forward,” said Cafú.
A reunion of legends at the 2026 World Cup opening
Cafú also expressed excitement about attending the opening events of the 2026 World Cup. There, he reunited with Brazilian icons such as Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Bebeto, and Roberto Rivelino, a champion in Mexico 1970.
“Rivelino was a huge star and an incredible figure for us. He won in 1970, and I was just being born. For Brazilians, the Estadio Azteca has a very special meaning,” he said, referring to the stadium that hosted Thursday’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa.
Cafú’s favorites for the 2026 World Cup
When asked about the current tournament, Cafú highlighted the strength of several national teams and pointed to France as one of the top contenders.
“France is one of the favorites. I also really like Portugal. Colombia, Ecuador, and Spain have great teams and can be protagonists,”he noted.
“Mexico can go far”
Cafú was also optimistic about Mexico’s chances after their 2–0 win over South Africa.
“Mexico keeps improving. We’ve watched their games and I think they can go far. They have a great fan base, and playing at home is always a big advantage,” he concluded.
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