The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) sacked Fernando Diniz as coach of the men’s national team Friday, a source there said, after a string of lackluster results for the “Selecao” in World Cup qualifying.

Fans had hoped Diniz, 49, who also coaches Rio de Janeiro club Fluminense, would restore the thrilling “samba football” that made the five-time world champions famous.

But since taking the job in July, he had struggled to deliver, with Brazil currently sixth place in South America’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the last automatic qualifying spot from the continent.

The decision came a day after a Supreme Court judge ordered the reinstatement of the CBF’s president, Ednaldo Rodrigues, who had been ousted by a lower-court ruling on December 7 that found irregularities in his 2022 election.

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