CBF made the decision after the 4-1 defeat to Argentina in Buenos Aires; Favorites to take office are Italian Carlo Ancelotti, currently at Real Madrid, and Portuguese Jorge Jesus, who commands Al Hilal
The (Brazilian Football Confederation) announced on Friday (28) the resignation of the coach of the command of. The decision was made after the 4-1 defeat to Argentina in Buenos Aires, a result that aggravated the pressure on the coach. The president of CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues, officialized Dorival’s departure after meeting at the entity’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. “The CBF ended the cycle of Dorival Júnior. From now on, we will start the search for a substitute,” said the leader.
The change takes place a year and three months of the 2026 World Cup and marks the fourth exchange of command of the national team in less than two and a half years. Dorival took office in January 2024, succeeding the interim Ramon Menezes e. In 16 games under their command, the team added seven wins, seven draws and two losses, with a 58.3%use.
Dorival Júnior began his passage with good results in the friendly against England (1-0 win) and Spain (draw 3-3). However, the performance in official competitions was below expectations. In the Copa America, Brazil drew with Costa Rica and Colombia in the group stage and fell in the quarterfinals for Uruguay, on penalties, after a goalless draw in normal time.
In the World Cup qualifiers, the team suffered a defeat to Paraguay and tied with Venezuela at home, results that accentuated criticism of the coach’s work. The rout suffered against Argentina evidenced the team’s tactical weaknesses, with the midfield dominated by rivals and little reaction throughout the match.
The CBF has not yet defined Dorival’s replacement, but some foreign names are on the entity’s radar. Among the favorites are the Italian, currently at Real Madrid, and the Portuguese, who runs Al Hilal, from Saudi Arabia. Other speculated names include Pep Guardiola and Abel Ferreira. Despite the interest of the CBF, Ancelotti denied that he was sought and reaffirmed his commitment to Real Madrid, with a contract in force until June 2026. “I have a clear contract with the club. I like Brazil and its fans, but I’m focused on my work here,” said the Italian coach.
Jorge Jesus, in turn, emerges as a viable alternative if negotiation with Ancelotti does not advance. However, his relationship with Neymar, with whom he had friction at Al Hilal, is a factor that can weigh against his hiring. The Brazilian team currently occupies fourth place in South American qualifiers, with 21 points in 14 games. The first six places guarantee a direct place for the World Cup, while the seventh dispute for recap. The next commitments will be against Ecuador, away from home, on June 5, and against Paraguay, in Brazil, on the 10th of the same month.
Published by Felipe Dantas
*Report produced with the aid of AI
