Dorival Júnior is perhaps the most optimistic Brazilian about the current Brazilian team. He ended the press conference on Monday (9) with the guarantee that the team will be in the final of the 2026 World Cup. Brazil is in fourth place in the South American Qualifiers and visits Paraguay, this Tuesday, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), in Asunción.
“I have no doubt about that (Brazil becoming competitive again). You can expect us to be in the World Cup final. You can hold me accountable,” replied Dorival.
The statement draws attention, as the team is expected to play attractive football, unlike what it did in the Copa América and even in the 1-0 victory over Ecuador last Friday. Dorival made the guarantee after being compared to Parreira, who also took over the team in the middle of a World Cup cycle, between 1991 and 1992, and was champion in 1994.
Before the last game, Brazil had accumulated three consecutive defeats, in what is already the worst Brazilian campaign in the Qualifiers. For Dorival, the team is improving, although not “in terms of quality of show”. “As a team, we are finding our way, we are strong in winning back the ball, in coming back after losing the ball, when the opponent exchanges two or three passes and starts a transition. We are more aggressive in this recovery. As a team, I believe we have improved, we are missing details close to the opponent’s area, a more reliable option, individual play that can be unbalanced, details that are fundamental and that perhaps have not happened up until now”, said the coach.
/i.s3.glbimg.com/v1/AUTH_da025474c0c44edd99332dddb09cabe8/internal_photos/bs/2024/f/I/okxXj0RnulWakTvCUmGw/treino-selecao.jpg)
The beautiful football that the fans expect is still a long way off, according to the coach. “We’re not going to put on a show overnight. That takes time, and we’ll find a way forward soon. It’s a very different job at the club, where the next day you start correcting what was presented, improving the positive points. Not so with the national team. After the game is over, two or three players go to London, Danilo goes to Italy, Dorival and the team go to Rio de Janeiro. It’s a completely different job,” he explained.
Brazil enters the eighth round with ten points, in fourth place, while Paraguay is seventh, with six. Argentina is in the lead (18), followed by Uruguay (14) and Colombia (13). The top six qualifying teams will secure a place in the next World Cup, while the seventh-placed team will play in the playoffs.
