Casemiro stepped aside. Andrey Santos inherits Brazil's midfield.

When Norway eliminated Brazil from the 2026 World Cup in the Round of 16, the defeat exposed an aging midfield that struggled to control defensive transitions. For nearly a decade, Casemiro provided Brazil with physical dominance and positional stability at the base of the team. When Carlo Ancelotti announced his squad overhaul on September 9, 2026, the 34-year-old veteran was omitted after joining Inter Miami. Ancelotti turned to 22-year-old Andrey Santos to anchor the national team's new cycle. 12

Manchester United reached the same conclusion earlier in the summer. Seeking a long-term replacement for Casemiro, United signed Santos from Chelsea to anchor Michael Carrick's midfield. Performance data from his 2025/26 campaign explained the investment. Among Premier League midfielders with at least 1,000 minutes, Santos led the competition with a 67.8 percent ground-duel win rate and added a 74 percent tackle success rate. In possession, he completed 90.1 percent of his passes while losing the ball just 0.1 times per 90 minutes. That combination of ball-winning authority and press resistance allows attacking midfielders like Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo to create higher up the pitch. 2

Ancelotti is building a similar tactical balance for Brazil. For upcoming September friendlies against Australia and India, the Italian manager retained a proven core—Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, Bruno Guimarães, Raphinha, and Vinícius Júnior—while selecting emerging talents eligible for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2030 World Cup. Deploying Santos alongside Arsenal's Bruno Guimarães provides Brazil with a secure platform to protect the back line and launch attacks. Succeeding an international icon at both Old Trafford and the Seleção brings immediate pressure, but Brazil's tactical recovery depends on establishing a reliable midfield base for the years ahead. 12