Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has backed Vinicius Junior despite criticism of the Real Madrid forward. The Italian admitted that the winger may not currently be at his best, but remains confident that Vinicius Junior will soon rediscover his top form.

“Perhaps he is not in his best condition at the moment, but, for example, he played very well at the World Cup. A footballer can never be at 100 per cent of his potential all the time. There are no doubts about Vinicius’ quality. He is a fantastic player, one of the best in the world,” Ancelotti told the Times of India.

Brazil are set to play three international friendlies in Australia, India and Singapore in the near future. For Ancelotti, the matches represent an important opportunity to assess players he has not yet had enough time to work with and learn more about the options available to him.

The Italian coach says the focus extends beyond the immediate results. Brazil are already looking towards the next cycle and the development of a new generation of international players, while maintaining a core of footballers with World Cup experience.

“We are working on creating a new generation of footballers. We have a core of players who have played at World Cups. Now we are focused on preparing for the 2028 Copa America and the 2030 World Cup,” Ancelotti said.