Head coach Carlo Ancelotti had much to answer for after the match, telling reporters that it was clear the team needs to find new ideas.

“Obviously, everyone is profoundly disappointed given what happened,” Ancelotti said. “We didn’t have a spectacular World Cup campaign, but we did a good one.”

But he will have to swallow the “bitter taste of defeat” in the meantime, he said.

For decades, Brazil has given fans one of the most thrilling styles of play — especially in high-stakes tournaments such as the World Cup. But the nation’s summer has been an utter slog, lacking the identity and joy on the pitch that spectators have come to expect.

The first 45 minutes against Norway were gritty, with Brazil fighting to create the few chances it inevitably failed to deliver on. Vinícius Júnior, Brazil’s rising star, remained muted on the right-hand side.

Ancelotti made the baffling choice to sideline the Real Madrid player for a penalty kick in the first half. Bruno Guimarães took the opportunity, instead, and squandered it with a stutter step that Norwegian keeper Ørjan Nyland didn’t fall for.

Nyland told reporters after the game that the team prepared as normal for Brazil but that the early penalty save gave him a boost of confidence.

“That was a great moment in the game for myself and also for the team to give us some breathing space,” he said. “And in the end, we also managed to score in the right moments … but obviously with the quality that Brazil has, we knew we had to fight together.”