Ancelotti Praises Valverde After Manchester City Hat-Trick: It's a Shame He's Not Brazilian

The Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, the head coach of the Brazil national football team, showered praise on Real Madrid's Uruguayan star Federico Valverde after his remarkable performance recently with the Spanish team.
These statements from Ancelotti came after Valverde scored a hat-trick that led Real Madrid to a 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League for the 2025-2026 season.

This is the first hat-trick that Federico Valverde has scored for Real Madrid since joining the team, whether in the Champions League or any other competition.

The hat-trick contributed to the Uruguayan player's entry into the history of the royal club, as he led his team to a significant victory over one of the tournament's top competitors.

The Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo still tops the list of players with the most hat-tricks for Real Madrid in the Champions League with 7 times.
Frenchman Karim Benzema comes in second after scoring 4 hat-tricks with the team in the tournament, followed by his compatriot Kylian Mbappe, who scored 3 hat-tricks for the royal club in the competition.

In an interview with Radio Marca, Carlo Ancelotti said:
"Valverde's performance did not surprise me; he saved my coaching license because of him, but the three goals were amazing."
He added that he sent a message to the player after the match saying:
"It's a shame you don't have a Brazilian passport."

The Italian coach also addressed his decision to leave coaching Real Madrid to take over the Brazil national football team, confirming that he had not thought about coaching another club after his experience with the royal club.
He said: "The opportunity to coach the Brazil national team appeared two years ago, then I renewed my contract with Real Madrid, but last year we thought it was time to leave, and now I am happy with this experience."

Carlo Ancelotti also pointed out that preparing the Brazil national football team list for the World Cup is a significant challenge due to the many options available.