Dorival Junior was sacked as Brazil coach on Friday, three days after a humiliating 4-1 World Cup qualifying defeat by Argentina, the Confederation of Brazilian Football announced.
“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, 62, has only been in control since January 2024, replacing interim coach Fernando Diniz, but he has overseen a disappointing qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Brazil, a five-time World Cup winner, is fourth in the South American qualification table, 10 points behind defending world champions Argentina, who have already secured their spot in the final.
Brazil is also ranked behind Ecuador and Uruguay.
There are six automatic qualifying berths for South American teams.
Brazil will visit Ecuador and host Paraguay in the qualifying round on June 4 and 9, respectively.
Following Tuesday’s humiliation in Buenos Aires, Dorival’s fate was sealed.
“Nobody expected what we saw today, and the responsibility is entirely mine,” the coach admitted after the game.
Dorival took over the Selecao after winning domestic championships with Flamengo and Sao Paulo.
His appointment came only after months of speculation regarding the potential arrival of Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid’s Italian coach.
According to Brazilian media, Ancelotti and Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, who is presently in charge of Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, are both in the running to succeed Dorival.
