Albania's elimination, coached by Brazilian Sylvinho, by Poland in the European playoff semi-final on Thursday in Warsaw ends a historic streak. For the first time since 1930, the 2026 World Cup, expanded to 48 teams, may proceed without any Brazilian coaches leading participating squads.
Albania lost to Poland in Warsaw on Thursday (26th) in the European playoff semi-final for the 2026 World Cup, dashing hopes of their debut in the tournament. Coached by Brazilian ex-player Sylvinho since January 2023, the Albanian team qualified for the recent Eurocopa and reached the playoffs but fell short against Poland. This outcome means the 2026 World Cup could be the first in nearly a century without a Brazilian coach leading any team, unprecedented across the 21 editions since 1930 when Píndaro de Carvalho Rodrigues managed Brazil. Brazilians have historically coached others, including record-holder Carlos Alberto Parreira in six World Cups, Luiz Felipe Scolari with Portugal in 2006, and more. Paulo Autuori, sacked Thursday by Peru's Sporting Cristal, told Folha: “In 2013, I mentioned we were lagging behind [...] we fell behind.” He blames complacency after Brazil's titles and the influx of foreign coaches. Brazil's CBF hired Italian Carlo Ancelotti in May 2025 after failures with Fernando Diniz and Dorival Júnior. Tite led Brazil to quarterfinals in the last two World Cups. Paulo César Carpegiani noted: “We regret the absence of a Brazilian only for Sylvinho's good work.” Sylvinho received Albania's Golden Eagle award for his Eurocopa performance.
