Brazil's coach fired after losing to Argentina.

The Brazilian Football Confederation has decided to terminate the contract of coach Dorival Junior following the heavy defeat suffered by the Seleção against Argentina with a score of (1-4) in the fourteenth round of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Dorival took over as the Brazilian national team coach in January 2024, replacing interim coach Fernando Diniz. However, his tenure with the team saw disappointing results in the World Cup qualifiers, currently occupying fourth place with 21 points, tied with Uruguay and Paraguay, trailing Ecuador by two points in second place. Argentina, the reigning World Cup champion, leads the group standings with 31 points, securing early qualification for the next World Cup. Brazil is scheduled to face Ecuador away on June 4, before hosting Paraguay on June 9 in the upcoming qualifying rounds. Dorival took charge of the Seleção after successful stints with Flamengo and Sao Paulo, winning two domestic titles, having been chosen after speculation about appointing Italian Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid's coach, who declined the offer at that time. According to Brazilian media reports, the top candidates to replace Dorival are Ancelotti himself, along with Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, the current coach of Saudi club Al Hilal. It is worth noting that the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup will see the top six South American teams directly qualify, while the seventh-placed team will play in a global playoff.