RIO DE JANEIRO: Dorival Junior was on Friday sacked as Brazil head coach, three days after the five-times world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires, the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) announced.

The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024, succeeding Fernando Diniz, after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.

“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement. “The management thanks [Dorival] and wishes him success in continuing his career ... the CBF will work to find his replacement.”

Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.

However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.

Five-time World Cup winners Brazil are fourth in the South American qualifying table, 10 points behind defending world champions Argentina who have already made sure of their place in the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Brazil also sit behind Ecuador and Uruguay.

There are six automatic qualifying spots for teams from South America.

Brazil will visit Ecuador and host Paraguay on June 4 and 9, respectively, in the next set of qualifiers.

The writing was on the wall for Dorival after Brazil slumped to their heaviest ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week.

Brazilian media claim that Ancelotti is again among the targets to succeed Dorival as is Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, currently in charge of Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

Fellow Portuguese Abel Ferreira, who won numerous titles with Brazilian club Palmeiras, has also been linked with the job.

Ancelotti dismissed the speculation on Friday, saying he intended to see out his contract in Madrid which runs until June 2026, despite his “affection for Brazil, its players, and its fans.”

Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.

Dorival’s debut saw a victory against England at Wembley with a goal from teenage star Endrick. However, any hopes of a new golden age of football for the spiritual home of the game, were dashed by a miserable performance at the 2024 Copa America.

At that tournament, Brazil limped into the knockout stages after just one win and two draws in their group campaign.

They then lost to Uruguay in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw in the quarter-finals.

Adding insult to injury, Argentina went on to claim the title.

Other low points followed — a 1-0 defeat in Paraguay and a 1-1 draw against Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers.

Performances left fans bemused that Dorival was unable to bring the best out of talented players such as Vincius Junior, Rodrygo and Raphinha.

Also missing was the traditional art and panache demanded by the team’s fans.

Adding to Dorival’s headaches was the fading talents of 33-year-old Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer who has been plagued by physical ailments.

Back in Brazil, at his boyhood club Santos, Neymar hoped to make his comeback to the national team after more than a year out due to a serious knee injury.

However, he missed the last two matches against Colombia (a 2-1 victory) and the rout in Argentina due to a thigh problem.

Whoever succeeds Dorival, the task will be to resurrect the style and bring a first title back to the country since the 2019 Copa America.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2025