Brazil sack Dorival Junior after World Cup qualifying defeat to Argentina
Dorival Junior has been sacked as Brazil's head coach after 14 months in charge.
The 62-year-old's departure comes three days after Brazil were defeated 4-1 by rivals Argentina in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, a result which captain Marquinhos labelled 'embarrassing'.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Friday: 'The board thanks Dorival and wishes him success in his continued career. From now on, the CBF will work to find a replacement.'
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With just four matches left to play in their qualification group, Brazil sit fourth out of 10 South American teams. The top six automatically seal entry to next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Brazil are six points clear of Venezuela, who occupy the intercontinental play-off spot in seventh position.
Dorival led his side to four wins in eight matches during their World Cup qualifying campaign. His only major tournament in charge saw Brazil exit the Copa America in 2024 with a quarter-final defeat by Uruguay.
Carlo Ancelotti has been the subject of renewed interest by Selecao to assume the now-vacant role of head coach for the 2026 World Cup. Ancelotti, a five-time Champions League winner, was also approached in 2022 and 2023 about the role.
Dorival was appointed in January 2024, departing Sao Paolo after leading the club to an 11th-placed finish in the 2023 Brazilian Serie A campaign. He led Sao Paolo to Copa do Brasil victory in 2023, ending their 11-year wait for a major trophy. He also won the Copa Libertadores with Flamengo in 2022.
Before Dorival, Fernando Diniz and Ramon Menezes took interim charge of the national team as they sought a permanent replacement for Tite, who stepped down following Brazil's quarter-final exit to Croatia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Additional reporting by Mario Cortegana.
Analysis by Jack Lang
Brazil were in a bind at the start of 2024. They had appointed the inexperienced Ramon Menezes interim coach in the wake of the 2022 World Cup, then pivoted to another temporary solution in Diniz, all the while making plans for Ancelotti to arrive and kickstart a new era before last summer's Copa America. The Italian didn't come; Diniz's idiosyncratic brand of football didn't take hold. With no standout options to replace him, the federation went for a safe pair of hands.
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Dorival, who had built up a reputation as a firefighter over his previous 22 years as a coach, ticked that box. He had also won the Copa Libertadores with Flamengo in 2022 — a significant success. When the Selecao beat England in his first match in charge, snatching a late goal after a organised display, there was a degree of cautious optimism in the Brazilian press.
He never made good on that promise. Brazil stuttered in subsequent friendlies, were deeply unimpressive at the Copa America and have only shown fleeting signs of improvement since. The prevailing impression — reinforced by the disastrous display against Argentina this week — was of a team adrift, occasionally bailed out by individual brilliance but fundamentally nowhere near the level required.
Brazil's problems run far deeper than the head coach. The question, for now, is whether sacking Dorival will lead to a short-term bounce. Brazil would certainly benefit from a more coherent tactical plan, a greater sense of purpose, even a bit of extra personality. Ancelotti would again seem to be the prime candidate. Time, however, is short: the World Cup is only 15 months away.
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