By Victor Kanayo
Brazil’s football confederation (CBF) has sacked head coach Dorival Júnior a few days after Argentina thrashed its men’s national team 4-1 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
This was disclosed by the CBF in a statement.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation announces that coach Dorival Júnior will no longer be in charge of the Brazilian national team.
“The board thanks the professional and wishes him success in his continued career. From now on, the CBF will work to find a replacement,” part of the statement said.
Argentina won 4-1 in Buenos Aires, despite the absence of its talismanic captain Lionel Messi, to inflict Brazil’s heaviest-ever loss in World Cup qualifying.
Dorival, 62, leaves the national team with a record of seven wins, seven draws, and two defeats from his 16 games in charge, with Brazil not yet guaranteed a place in next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Throughout his spell, Dorival has not been able to count on the services of Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, Neymar, because of the player’s injury issues.
The former São Paulo manager had been appointed to bring stability after a turbulent period following Brazil’s 2022 World Cup quarter-final exit due to a penalty shootout loss to Croatia, which led to the sacking of former coach Tite.
