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Brazil have sacked their head coach Dorival Junior after their recent 4-1 thumping by Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. They sit fourth in the CONMEBOL standings as they have 21 points on the board.
Brazil national football team sacks Dorival Junior
The 62-year-old manager had coached a number of Brazilian clubs in the past and took over the charge of the national team back in January 2024. His first match was against the Three Lions (England). The match was played last year in the month of March where Brazil walked away as the winner after defeating them 1-0.
In his tenure as the head coach of the Brazil national football team, he had seven wins, six draws and three losses in the 16 games he was in charge.
But, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced his exit after they were humiliated by Argentina, who have already qualified for the prestigious tournament as they are first in the CONMEBOL standings with 31 points to their name.
Dorival Junior is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team. The management thanks him and wishes him success for the rest of his career, the CBF said in a statement.
Dorival Junior never played for his country at the international level and his biggest success as a manager came in 2022 when he led Flamengo to 2022 Copa Libertadores victory. The Brazilian media suggests that Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus is the favorite to take over the throne from Junior. They have even tried to appoint Carlo Ancelotti but have failed as the manager is focusing on his role at Real Madrid.
The Athletic even reported on Thursday that Brazil were interested in Ancelotti for being their manager at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Carlo Ancelotti opens up on the links to the Brazil national team
In a pre-match press conference (h/t Fabrizio Romano), Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti was asked about his link ups with the Brazil national team. The Italian mentioned that he is only focusing on succeeding with Real Madrid and said,
I appreciate Brazil, but there was NO contact at all between the Federation and myself in the recent days. My full focus is on Real Madrid. I’m under contract at Real Madrid and my focus is on winning titles. We have important targets now.
Ancelotti has been one of the most successful coaches of all time for the Los Blancos. He has won three Champions League titles, which included the famous La Decima (2013-14). Some of his other trophies include two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey and two Spanish Super Cups.
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