The Selecao are struggling, and appear to be in big trouble ahead of friendlies with England and Spain – can they turn things around?
In 2023, Brazil thought they had hired Carlo Ancelotti. They told everyone, with some confidence, that he would be their next manager. FA president Ednaldo Rodrigues even asserted that Fluminense manager Fernando Diniz would help the transition into the Ancelotti era. "His (Diniz) game plan is almost similar to that of the coach that will take over at Copa America, Ancelotti," Rodrigues said. "We don't call him an interim coach of the national team. He will come and make the transition in Brazil for Ancelotti."
For a team that had experienced tumult in the dugout and poor showings on the field, the good times seemed to be back. Fast forward nine months, and nothing's changed. Ancelotti has signed a new deal to stay with Real Madrid, while the Selecao are now onto their third interim manager since Tite left his post in December 2022.
And there are few signs of improvement to be found. Some of their biggest names are injured, while club stalwarts have struggled to find form in the national shirt. This is more than just a rough patch for football's most successful national team. The five-time World Cup winners, once untouchable on the global stage, suddenly look fragile – lacking continuity on the field and off it. With yet another new face on the touchline, this feels like a crucial juncture. Two friendlies, against European powerhouses England and Spain, come next and there simply has to be positive steps taken forward.
Raisa Simplício/GOAL18 months of managerial chaos
Tite always promised he would resign after the 2022 World Cup but few thought he would actually stick to his word. It made even less sense that he did so after such a disappointing campaign in Qatar. The Selecao, among the favourites to win the whole thing, could have few complaints about their quarter-final exit to an aging Croatia side.
He left all the same, without the Brazilian FA having a replacement lined up. So started a cycle of managerial chaos. Ramon Menezes came in on an interim basis, but a battering to Senegal saw him swiftly relieved of his duties. Ancelotti was supposed to be next – Rodrigues eager to bring him in immediately.
Instead, he turned to Diniz, which seemed an odd appointment. Although he had won the Copa Libertadores with Fluminense, the journeyman had something of a reputation for failing to hold down jobs at the top tier of management – and had never stayed with one club for more than two years. There didn't seem to be much wrong with picking a winner, but if stability was the goal here, then Diniz didn't seem the right person for the job.
AdvertisementGettyPoor form and mistakes aplenty
And so it proved. Diniz won just two of his first five contests in charge and the Selecao were struggling at both ends of the pitch. Despite having some of the world's best attacking talent at their disposal, they only found the net eight times in those five fixtures.
Things weren't much better defensively. Although Marquinhos and Gabriel made a formidable duo in the middle, the Selecao were far too exploitable down the wings – Vinicius Jr and Raphinha's penchant for scampering up either sideline leaving them exploitable in the full-back positions. Diniz did little to address the apparent issue, and opponents soon capitalised.
They conceded the same goal twice to Colombia, sweeping moves down the Brazil left followed by teasing balls hit to the far post accounting for Luis Diaz's brace in a World Cup qualifier. Uruguay went about things in much the same way, two cut-backs from the left channel sealing their victory. Venezuela's late equaliser was perhaps less preventable – bicycle kicks are seldom the fault of defenders – but the original ball came from the same area.
GettyThe Argentina embarrassment
And then, Argentina. Must-win games don't really exist for the Selecao outside of international tournaments. This is, after all, a side that is used to playing in the latter rounds of the biggest competitions – they expect to win all the time. This one, however, against their most bitter of rivals, felt seismic. Brazil had lost three in a row before the crunch game, and were attempting to avoid what would be a first ever home loss in World Cup qualifying.
Things were ugly from before the opening whistle. Brazil fans clashed with their Argentine counterparts, while local police did little to temper the violence. There was scattered talk that the game could be abandoned, and Lionel Messi led the Albiceste into the dressing room in protest.
Still, the fixture went on, and it was an embarrassment for Diniz. It was ugly, with both sides being dragged into a tepid midfield battle before Nicolas Otamendi's 63rd-minute header sealed a 1-0 victory. Diniz simply couldn't keep his job.
Getty ImagesWorld Cup qualification fears
The result is a Brazil side that face the possibility of not qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. FIFA expanded the tournament ahead of the 2026 iteration, allowing 48 teams to play in North America. Six teams out of 11 from South America will now qualify. It is, statistically, more difficult to miss the tournament than to make it.
That being said, if qualification was finalised today, the Selecao would be forced into a tenuous playoff as the sixth-placed team in the table. They have only tallied seven points from six games, winning two of them and losing three. They will still likely turn things around; Brazil are, theoretically, too big to miss the whole thing, but this sort of extreme pressure, at this juncture of the footballing calendar, isn't the norm for a team of their pedigree.