Ancelotti reveals why Vinícius Jr. wasn't among top five penalty takers for Brazil

Brazil's World Cup 2026 campaign came to a screeching halt in the Round of 16 after a 1-0 defeat to Norway, but the match could have taken a different turn had Bruno Guimarães converted a 14th-minute penalty. The midfielder saw his spot-kick saved, and that miss proved costly. Speaking after the loss, Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti laid out the team's penalty hierarchy, explaining that it was based on pre-tournament data. According to the Italian, Raphinha was statistically the best, while among the players available for the Norway game, the order was: Neymar first, Igor Thiago second, Bruno Guimarães third, Martinelli fourth. Vinícius Júnior, widely regarded as one of the world's most dangerous attackers, was only sixth in line. "We followed the numbers and the players' readiness. Vinícius is an extraordinary talent, but in our penalty setup, others were ahead of him," Ancelotti said. Nornoway now advance to face England in Miami on July 12 at midnight local time, with a quarterfinal spot on the line.