Brazil’s defeat to Japan on Tuesday (14), after a comeback, adds to a series of historic setbacks suffered by the national team over the past two and a half years in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup.
In the first friendly after the 2022 World Cup, under Ramon Menezes, Brazil was beaten 2–1 by Morocco, the fourth-place team in Qatar, marking its first loss ever to the African side. In previous encounters, Brazil had won 2–0 in 1997 and 3–0 at the 1998 World Cup.
Next, the team defeated Guinea 4–1 — its only win under Menezes — and then suffered another unprecedented defeat, this time to Senegal, by 4–2. Brazil had drawn 1–1 with Senegal in 2019.
Fernando Diniz took over in 2023 and also accumulated negative records. In the Qualifiers, Brazil lost two consecutive matches for the first time, against Uruguay and Colombia, as well as a home loss to Argentina, its first ever in the competition, which led to his dismissal.
Under Dorival Júnior, Brazil was thrashed 4–1 by Argentina in Buenos Aires, the worst defeat in the team’s history in World Cup Qualifiers. The setback also marked the first time Brazil lost to Argentina in both matches of the qualifying tournament.
Now coached by Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil suffered its first-ever defeat to Japan. The only previous Japanese victory over Brazil had come at the 1996 Olympic Games, when the Asian team won 1–0 in the opening round of the under-23 tournament.
