In the lead-up to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup in New York, former Seleção star Kaká sounded the alarm on the state of football in his country, holding Morocco up as a model to follow.
The 2007 Ballon d’Or winner did not mince his words in an interview with ESPN, stating clearly that Brazil is “falling behind” compared to the progress of structured nations like the Moroccan kingdom. Following the Brazilian team’s disappointing campaign, eliminated prematurely by Norway in the round of 16, the former playmaker is calling on the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and training clubs to draw inspiration from the Moroccan vision to redefine a long-term project.
Although he admits he does not know the intricate details of Morocco’s internal project, Ricardo Kaká expressed being deeply impressed by the consistency of the recent results of the Atlas Lions. After the memorable run in 2022 and a solid performance in 2026, the former AC Milan player sees Morocco’s regularity as the ripe fruit of a methodical vision, far removed from impulsive short-term reactions.
At the heart of this success that Brazil should emulate, Kaká highlights the perfect bridge built between youth categories and the elite. He specifically pointed out the trajectory of the Moroccan U20 generation, which became world champions in their category and has seamlessly fed into the senior team. The fact that the youth coach later took the reins of the senior team symbolizes, according to him, the essential technical and human continuity that is sorely lacking in the Brazilian system.
“I do not know (in detail) the Moroccan project, for example, but it seems to me that it has been in place for several years. They were world champions at the U20 level, the U20 team feeds the senior team, and then the U20 coach took over the senior team. They lost to a French team that was among the favorites, but they had an excellent World Cup. Another one, in fact, since they reached the semi-finals in the last one. These are good examples to follow. France too, Spain as well. If I’m not mistaken, 20 players from the Spanish team that played in the Olympic final against Brazil are now feeding the senior team.”
Ricardo Kaká
For the 2002 World Cup champion, the ultimate challenge for the Seleção will be to combine this structural and tactical rigor inspired by the Moroccan model with the natural genius of its own players. While he acknowledges having learned a lot about tactical discipline during his years in Italy, Kaká insists that a reorganization modeled on Morocco’s seriousness must serve as a foundation to unleash, rather than stifle, the creativity, improvisation, and precious DNA of Brazilian football.
Kaká, campeão do mundo com a Seleção Brasileira em 2002, explicou o que o Brasil precisa fazer para voltar a disputar uma final de Copa do Mundo. 🇧🇷🏆
E aí, fã de esportes, você concorda com ele? 👀
👉 Assista à Copa do Mundo FIFA pela CazéTV, no #DisneyPlus, sem custo… pic.twitter.com/szCWXLzOIV
— ESPN Brasil (@ESPNBrasil) July 18, 2026
