Dorival Junior believes the pressure of being Brazil's main man can sometimes weigh Vinicius Junior down, just as it did Neymar in years gone by.
Brazil beat Ecuador 1-0 to end a three-match losing run in the CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Friday, though their performance was far from convincing.
Rodrygo's deflected first-half strike handed Brazil a crucial three points, yet they were indebted to goalkeeper Alisson for making a huge one-on-one save to deny Moises Caicedo on the stroke of half-time.
Having endured a torrid time at the Copa America earlier this year, Vinicius was quiet again on Friday, failing to complete any of his four dribbles and losing possession 14 times – more than any other Selecao player.
Brazil's recent performances have come in for stern criticism at home, but Dorival believes everyone connected with the national team needs to have more patience.
"We want to see players in the condition where he produces at all times, in the same way he does at his club," Dorival said of Vinicius.
"We always have cycles within the clubs themselves, we have moments when Rodrygo will be featured over a few months, soon Vini will enter this same condition.
"We have to be very calm. This same expectation was generated around Neymar, that at all times Neymar had to be the solution to our problems."
Neymar himself has not played for either Al-Hilal or Brazil since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament during the Selecao's 2-0 defeat to Uruguay last October.
Dorival cited his recovery as yet another area where Brazil's supporters must have more understanding.
"If we have a little patience and receive Neymar at the moment the team is more balanced, I have no doubt he can make a very big difference with the ability he has, with those who are here," he added.
"We have to learn that these processes are lengthy and require time and patience, which we do not have in our country.
"I say again to the Brazilian fans: have a little calm, let's first regain the confidence of the Brazilian team. We have players of the highest level, who play in the biggest clubs in Europe, as well as in Brazilian football.
"I have no doubt that we will have an aggressive team like the fans want, playing in a regular way and transmitting even greater confidence."
Brazil go to Paraguay for their next World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, having gone fourth in the 10-team group with Friday's slender victory.
Luis Suarez gave an emotional farewell message to Uruguay's fans after the final game of his international career ended in a goalless draw with Paraguay in Montevideo.
Suarez announced earlier this month that Friday's 2026 World Cup qualifier would be his final outing for La Celeste, who he helped win the 2011 Copa America and reach the 2010 World Cup semi-finals.
The former Liverpool and Barcelona man was unable to end his international career with a victory as Marcelo Bielsa's team were kept out by Paraguay.
Suarez played the full 90 minutes as captain as Uruguay registered just one shot on target in a meek performance, but the result could not put a dampener on post-match tributes to the striker.
Addressing the crowd, Suarez said: "I have only words of gratitude to all Uruguayans, who since my career began supported me, not only me, but a generation that had a very difficult time.
"That group marked me a lot, being a healthy group, where we were all on the same path. People don't know how much we fought for this shirt and how difficult it is to represent a country, it is not easy to assume that responsibility.
"I went through very complicated moments in my career. I want to thank you for the affection and be clear that Uruguay is bigger than any coach or player and that, from tomorrow, I will be just another fan.
"Up Uruguay and I will always be grateful to the Uruguayan people."
Suarez ended his international career with a national record 69 goals in 143 caps, his final strike for Uruguay being a last-minute equaliser versus Canada in the third-place play-off at this year's Copa America, a contest La Celeste won on penalties.
Rodrigo De Paul says the Argentina captaincy "still belongs" to Lionel Messi despite his extended injury lay-off.
The Inter Miami star has been out of action since the Copa America final due to an ankle injury and will not be involved in Argentina's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia.
Messi is still a key part of Lionel Sclaoni's plans with the national side, and he played in all but one of their games at that tournament, though only registered one goal and one assist for the tournament.
Angel Di Maria retired from international duty after their Copa America triumph and was the usual deputy to Messi, who has captained Albiceleste since 2011.
With neither of those two available, it is expected that De Paul, who has 69 international caps, will wear the armband against Chile, but he has played down the idea of deputising for Messi.
"I always say that I play the role that they give me," De Paul said.
"It's been many years. I feel like an important player in this team. That's all I can say.
"Afterwards, we know that the armband belongs to Leo. Whoever has to wear it will be circumstantial because he is the captain of this team."
Argentina are currently top of their qualifying group with five wins from six games. Meanwhile, Messi is back in training again and is expected to make his return in MLS later this month.
Lionel Messi has been omitted from Argentina's upcoming World Cup qualifiers as he continues to recover from an ankle injury sustained in the Copa America final.
The superstar forward limped off a little over an hour into La Albiceleste's 1-0 victory over Colombia in Miami on July 14 and has not featured since.
Messi, 37, did not play in the MLS All-Star game, with his club side Inter Miami confirming he had sustained ligament damage to his right ankle and no timeline has been put on his return.
Lionel Scaloni has the likes of Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez and Nicolas Gonzales to call upon, while Lazio forward Valentin Castellanos earns a first call-up.
Argentina face Chile in Buenos Aires on September 5 before travelling to Bogota for a rematch with Colombia five days later.
Scaloni's side, who are hoping to defend their World Cup title in 2026 by qualifying for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada, are top of CONMEBOL qualifying with five wins from six matches.
The top six nations from CONMEBOL qualify for the tournament, while seventh place goes into a play-off for an additional berth.
Lionel Messi says Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Brazil at the Maracana will be “marked by repression of Argentinians” after the game was delayed by crowd trouble.
Kick-off was put back by half-an-hour in Rio de Janeiro as rival fans clashed with police, with both sets of players trying to calm the situation down before eventually returning to the dressing rooms before the game could get under way.
The crowd trouble began during the national anthems as police charged at away supporters using batons, causing a mass brawl which led to some fans spilling on to the pitch to escape the trouble in the stands.
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Once the trouble had subsided, Nicolas Otamendi’s second-half header from a corner settled the contest, while Brazil’s Joelinton saw red for a shove on Rodrigo de Paul late on.
The loss condemned the hosts to their third straight defeat in World Cup qualifying and their first ever on home soil.
Lionel Messi said the “great victory” could have ended in “tragedy”.
Quoted on the BBC, he said: “We went to the locker room because it was the best way to calm everything down, it could have ended in tragedy.”
The Ballon d’Or winner added on Instagram: “Great victory in the Maracana, although it will be marked by the repression of the Argentinians in Brazil.
“This can’t be tolerated, it’s insane and it needs to end now!”
World champions Argentina’s 1-0 win over Brazil was marred by crowd trouble at the Maracana Stadium.
Kick-off was delayed by half an hour in Rio de Janeiro after rival fans and police clashed, with both sets of players trying to calm the situation down before eventually returning to the dressing room before the game could commence.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was filmed trying to climb the hoarding to stop a police officer wielding a baton before being pulled away by team-mates.
Once the order was restored, Nicolas Otamendi’s second-half header gave Argentina an historic World Cup qualifying victory, with Joelinton sent off for the hosts.
Lionel Messi said on Argentina’s X feed: “This group continues to achieve historic things. Although today was not the most important, it is something very nice.
“We needed this victory after the defeat against Uruguay.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game, similar to the one in the Copa America final. They pressed a lot, they went to look for us high up and it was difficult for us to have long possessions. These games are defined by details.”
It was Brazil’s first-ever home defeat in a World Cup qualifier and their third in a row after previous losses to Uruguay and Colombia, with their path to the 2026 World Cup looking decidedly shaky.
The hosts were the better side in the first half and could have taken the lead just before the break but Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli saw his shot cleared off the line by north London nemesis Cristian Romero.
Martinelli missed another key chance after the break, with Martinez denying him from close range.
The defending champions took a 63rd-minute lead when former Manchester City defender Otamendi headed home Giovani Lo Celso’s corner with their only effort on target of the night.
Newcastle’s Joelinton saw red in the last 10 minutes when he struck out at Rodrigo De Paul to compound a miserable night for the hosts, with the inquest to their poor form and the ugly scenes in the stadium set to rumble on.
Luis Diaz scored twice as Colombia stunned Brazil 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier, days after his father was released by kidnappers.
The Liverpool striker netted twice in four minutes late in the second half, watched by his father Luiz Manuel Diaz who was held for 12 days before his release last week.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli had put Brazil in front after just four minutes.
Colombia’s first win over Brazil for eight years lifts them into third in the South American qualifying table with Brazil, who suffered a second successive defeat in the competition, down to fifth.
On a night of surprises, goals from Ronald Araujo and Darwin Nunez saw Uruguay beat Argentina 2-0.
Lionel Messi struggled to impose himself, hitting the crossbar in the second half as Argentina’s 100% record since lifting the World Cup was ended.
Uruguay’s win lifts them to second in the table, two points behind Argentina.
Venezuela are in fourth after a goalless draw with Ecuador, Chile and Paraguay also drawing a blank while Bolivia won the battle of the bottom two with a 2-0 win over Peru.
FIFA has agreed to cancel the World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina.
The fixture in September was stopped shortly after kick-off when Brazilian health officials entered the field claiming four Argentina players had broken COVID-19 protocols.
FIFA was pushing for the clash to be rescheduled for next month, despite the fact the game was essentially meaningless with both teams having already qualified for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.
The confederations of Brazil and Argentina both opposed FIFA's demand, with the case taken to the Court for Arbitration of Sport (CAS) where all three parties agreed to the deal.
Brazil's Tite and Argentina's Lionel Scaloni argued the risk of injuries and suspensions were too high for the game to be played, which would have occurred just two months before the World Cup is scheduled to begin.
With the agreement, both South American teams are free to schedule friendlies against opponents of their choosing for their World Cup preparations – where they will be looking to end Europe's dominance on the world stage.
Brazil have not won the tournament since 2002 and were humiliated by Germany in the semi-finals when hosting the tournament in 2014, where Argentina were subsequently beaten in the final.
Argentina are alongside Mexico, Poland and Saudi Arabia in Group C, while Brazil are in Group G with Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon.
Chile's appeal to have Ecuador disqualified from the World Cup in Qatar has been rejected by FIFA.
The appeal was made on the basis of Ecuador selecting an ineligible player during their qualifying campaign.
Football's world governing body opened disciplinary proceedings last month following allegations that right-back Byron Castillo is Colombian and not eligible to represent Ecuador.
Castillo made eight appearances for Ecuador in their South American qualifying campaign.
Chile, who failed to qualify for the World Cup, lodged a complaint, but FIFA confirmed on Friday that Ecuador will keep their place at the World Cup, which starts in November.
A statement on FIFA's website read: "The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has rendered its decision in relation to the potential ineligibility of the player Byron David Castillo Segura with regard to his participation in eight qualifying matches of the national team of the Ecuadorian Football Association (FEF) in the preliminary competition of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
"After analysing the submissions of all parties concerned and considering all elements brought before it, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to close the proceedings initiated against the FEF.
"The Disciplinary Committee's findings were notified today to the parties concerned. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the parties have 10 days in which to request a motivated decision, which, if requested, would subsequently be published on legal.fifa.com. The present decision remains subject to an appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee."
La Roja, who finished seventh to miss out on a play-off spot, would have taken Ecuador's place had FIFA disqualified them.
Ecuador will face hosts Qatar, Netherlands and Senegal in Group A.
FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Ecuador over the potential use of an ineligible player in their successful World Cup qualifying campaign.
Chile last week asked the world football governing body to investigate allegations that right-back Byron Castillo is actually Colombian and not eligible to represent Ecuador.
Castillo played eight times for Ecuador in South American qualifying, including a goalless draw with Chile in September and a 2-0 victory in November.
La Roja finished seventh, meaning they just missed out on a play-off spot, but believe Ecuador should be expelled from the quadrennial competition.
And FIFA confirmed on Wednesday that it is looking into the recent complaint made by the Federacion de Futbol de Chile.
The statement read: "FIFA has decided to open disciplinary proceedings in relation to Byron David Castillo Segura's possible breach of the call criteria for the indicated matches.
"In this context, the FEF and the Peruvian Football Federation have been invited to present their positions before the FIFA Disciplinary Committee."
Ecuador have already been drawn in Group A at the World Cup, alongside hosts Qatar, as well as Senegal and the Netherlands.
FIFA sanctioned Bolivia for fielding ineligible player Nelson Cabrera in 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Chile, awarding their opponents 3-0 wins in both instances.
FIFA has confirmed Brazil and Argentina will have to replay last September's abandoned World Cup qualifier after rejecting appeals from both countries' football federations.
The original fixture in Sao Paolo was abandoned after just five minutes when Brazilian health officials entered the pitch, with players Emiliano Martinez, Emiliano Buendia, Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso accused by the Brazilian government of providing false information on their immigration forms and breaking the nation's Covid-19 laws.
FIFA's original ruling on the matter was announced in February, ordering the fixture to be replayed with all four of those players suspended and handing fines to both sides.
Both countries' federations subsequently lodged appeals against those measures, but FIFA has now confirmed the fixture will be replayed at an as-yet unspecified date and venue.
A statement from world football's governing body on Monday said: "The FIFA Appeal Committee has taken decisions on the appeals lodged by the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) and the Argentinian Football Association (AFA).
"After analysing the submissions of both parties and considering all circumstances of the case, the Appeal Committee confirmed that the match would be replayed and also upheld the fine of CHF 50,000 that was imposed on both associations as a result of the abandonment."
Brazil and Argentina have both qualified for the tournament in Qatar in comfortable fashion, with Brazil sitting top of the CONMEBOL qualification group with 45 points after an as-yet unbeaten campaign, and Argentina second with 39 points, meaning the replayed fixture will have no impact on the final standings.
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