The rumors started after the Argentina match. Five-time world champions Brazil had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier before. They had to face that shame on Argentine soil. However, Darival Jr. was not in a very advantageous position before this. Due to the downward performance graph, he was criticized by everyone from the Brazilian Football Federation to the fans.
The result came less than a week later. Despite promising that Brazil would play in the 2026 World Cup final, Darival did not do his job properly. That is why Darival is the head coach of the Brazil team. The coach of the former world champions has been appointed for a total of 14 months.
62-year-old Darival has been in charge of the Brazil team since January 2024. Before that, he was a coach at about 27 clubs in Brazil. His first match was against England. He won that match 1-0. Then the 3-3 draw with Spain took Darival’s popularity to the peak. However, it did not take long for him to face reality.
A Copa America quarter-final exit, a first-ever loss to Paraguay in 16 years, a first-ever home-and-away loss to Argentina… All in all, Darival’s chapter was a success with very few wins. Out of 16 matches under his leadership, seven were won, six were drawn and three were lost.
The CBF thanked Darival in a statement, writing, “The Brazilian Football Federation announces that Coach Darival Junior will no longer be in charge of the Brazilian national team. The management thanks him and wishes him success in his future career. From now on, the CBF will work to find a replacement.”
Tite stepped down as Brazil coach after the team’s quarter-final exit at the 2022 World Cup. He had been in charge for more than six years. He was followed by interim coach Ramon Menezes for five months and Fernando Diniz in the dugout for six months. Then Darival was in charge for 14 months.
