Who will take over the world’s most famous national team? Portuguese managers revived clubs—can they do the same for the Selecao?

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has officially started the search for a new national team head coach—a figure tasked with restoring pride to the only team that has won the World Cup five times.

But the mood is bleak. Brazil is desperate. The Selecao has been in crisis for over a decade—by their lofty standards, they are in decline any time they’re not on top of the world. The 2014 World Cup debacle on home soil ended in a humiliating loss to Germany, and it was also the last time Brazil were seriously in the mix for a major title.

To make matters worse, Argentina—Brazil’s eternal rival—is currently enjoying its golden era, having lifted three major trophies in the same period. Meanwhile, Brazilian football authorities are running out of time and ideas.

The long-standing belief that only a Brazilian should lead the national team is fading, giving way to a more pragmatic view: the Selecao should be led by a coach from the elite global class, such as Carlo Ancelotti or Pep Guardiola.

While both have publicly acknowledged that coaching Brazil would be a great honor, the reality is that they are under contract and likely out of reach. Many believe chasing such names is a waste of precious time that Brazil can no longer afford to lose.

The Brazilian coaching scene currently lacks prestige on the global stage. There is not a single top Brazilian coach working at an elite European club. The closest might be Thiago Motta, but he long ago switched national allegiance to Italy.

According to Brazilian media, some players reportedly want to reunite with Tite, who stepped down after Brazil’s 2022 World Cup quarter-final exit to Croatia. But there’s growing momentum behind a different solution: appointing a Portuguese manager.

Why Portugal? Because Portuguese coaches have dominated Brazilian club football in recent years.

The most talked-about names are:

• Jorge Jesus, who won multiple titles with Flamengo and is reportedly willing to leave Al Hilal to take the job.

• Abel Ferreira, the hugely successful Palmeiras coach, who won both the Brazilian league and the Copa Libertadores.

A third Portuguese candidate is also being mentioned:

• Jose Mourinho, who has no direct ties to Brazilian football, but certainly ticks the box of a global superstar manager.

While nothing is confirmed, one thing is certain: Brazil is ready to think outside the box, and Portuguese managers are now seen as legitimate saviors for a team desperate to return to glory.