Brazil’s head coach, Dorival Junior, has taken full responsibility for the humiliating 4-1 defeat to Argentina in their World Cup qualifying match. 

The match, which took place at Argentina’s Estadio Monumental, saw Brazil outclassed by their rivals, with Argentina dominating every aspect of the game.

In a candid post-match interview, Dorival Junior admitted that Argentina was clearly the better team and that Brazil could not execute their game plan. “I take full responsibility for this defeat. Argentina outplayed us in every way,” said the Brazilian coach. “This was an incredibly difficult match for us, and I don’t have a clear explanation for the result. We simply couldn’t carry out the plans we had set before the game.”

Brazil found themselves on the back foot early, conceding a goal in the 4th minute, which disrupted their strategy. Dorival mentioned how the early goal made it even harder for Brazil to recover. “Conceding so early made things much more difficult for us,” he explained. “Not long after that, we were 2-0 down. We tried to push forward and find a way back into the game, but we faced continuous challenges. Even when I made substitutions, our game plan didn’t come to fruition.”

The defeat leaves Brazil in fourth place in the South American World Cup qualifying table, struggling to secure a spot for the 2026 tournament. On the other hand, Argentina’s dominant performance has already confirmed their qualification for the World Cup next year.

For Brazil, this loss serves as a wake-up call, and Dorival Junior will need to quickly find ways to motivate and prepare his team for the next phase of the qualifiers. The Brazilian coach’s public acceptance of responsibility may help rally the players, but their upcoming matches will be crucial in determining whether they can recover from this setback and move forward.

As of March 26, Dorival Junior has been sacked as Argentina’s head coach after this humiliating loss.