Brazil Sack Head Coach Dorival Junior

On Friday, the Brazilian Football Confederation announced the dismissal of Dorival Júnior as the head coach of the national team due to poor results, especially the latest 1-4 defeat against Argentina last Wednesday in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

In an official statement, the Brazilian Football Confederation said: "Dorival Júnior is no longer the head coach of the Brazilian national team. We thank him for his efforts and wish him success in the future."

Since taking charge of the Brazilian national team in January 2024, Dorival Júnior led the team in 16 matches, securing seven wins, seven draws, and suffering two defeats. 

In last year’s Copa América, the Seleção was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Uruguay.

Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, currently managing Real Madrid, and Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, head coach of Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, are among the top candidates to replace Dorival Júnior as Brazil’s head coach.

Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion, currently sits in fourth place in the South American qualifiers, trailing Argentina—the leaders—by 10 points. Argentina has already secured its place in the tournament.