Brazil have dismissed head coach Dorival Jr., the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced on Friday, March 28th, following the team’s humiliating 4-1 World Cup qualifying defeat to arch-rivals Argentina in Buenos Aires earlier this week.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024, ending a year-long period where Brazil relied on interim coaches after failing to lure Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid. However, Dorival Jr.’s tenure proved short-lived and ultimately unsuccessful.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the CBF said in a statement, thanking him and wishing him success while confirming the search for a replacement is underway.
Despite arriving with a strong club record, including Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup successes with Flamengo and Sao Paulo, Dorival Jr. struggled to make a significant impact with the national team.
He won only seven of his 16 games in charge and failed to gain the confidence of Brazil’s demanding supporters. Sources told Reuters that the CBF was concerned about a lack of progress since Brazil’s quarter-final exit to Uruguay in last year’s Copa America.
While the CBF reportedly intended to wait until the June qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay before making a decision, Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to Argentina – Brazil’s heaviest ever defeat in a World Cup qualifier against their rivals – prompted CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues to act immediately.
Brazil currently find themselves in an uncharacteristically precarious position in the South American qualifiers. They sit fourth with 21 points, just one point ahead of sixth-placed Colombia, who occupy the final automatic qualification spot.
The campaign has been marked by several negative records, including the most losses (five in 14 games), most goals conceded (16), their first-ever home qualifying loss (to Argentina in 2023), and unprecedented defeats to Colombia, Morocco, and Senegal.
The search for Dorival Jr.’s successor begins immediately. While Carlo Ancelotti remains the ideal candidate according to sources, his contract with Real Madrid runs until July 2026.
Brazilian media report that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is a current favourite for the role. The next coach faces the significant challenge of restoring confidence and ensuring Brazil’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
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