Who is Dorival Junior - the new Brazil football team coach

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) appointed former Sao Paulo boss Dorival Junior as the new manager of the men’s national team, taking over the five-time World Cup winners after a string of poor results.

Dorival’s appointment to the job was first announced by his former club. He will be formally presented at CBF headquarters in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, the confederation said.

While the CBF did not specify the length of his contract, Brazilian media reports said it would run until the 2026 World Cup which will be hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico.

He replaces fellow Brazilian Fernando Diniz, who had been in the job on an interim basis from July 2023 until being sacked last Friday.

Why did Brazil sack Fernando Diniz?

Under Fernando Diniz, Brazil had racked up three straight losses in World Cup qualifiers, including a humiliating 1-0 loss at home to arch-rivals Argentina in November.

The “Selecao” have also struggled with a series of injuries, notably to star Neymar, who suffered a torn knee ligament in a 2-0 loss to Uruguay in October and is expected to be sidelined for months.

Brazil are currently sixth in South America’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the last automatic qualifying spot from the continent.

Who is Dorival Junior?

Dorival Junior, 61, was a veteran coach at Sao Paulo and led them to the Copa do Brasil title last year, and previously led Flamengo to the 2022 Copa do Brasil and Copa Libertadores.

He is expected to make his debut in March, when Brazil play England and Spain in a pair of friendlies.