Brazilian football's crisis deepens after missing out on Paris Olympics

Brazilian football fans face disappointment as Brazil fails to qualify for the Paris Olympics, adding to the country's ongoing crisis.

Brazilian football fans were already in a funk after a year that saw a string of poor results, a coaching void and a political tug of war at the country’s federation.

Things got even worse Sunday after Brazil failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics thanks to a loss to archrival Argentina, meaning the two-time defending champion will not be part of the tournament this summer.

“It is sad, but it is more of an embarrassment,” striker John Kennedy said after the 1-0 loss. “We should have wanted to win more than we did.”

Brazil also failed to qualify for the 1992 and 2004 editions of the Olympic tournament, but those blips didn't coincide with a crisis for the senior national team. Brazil is only in sixth place in South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and its biggest star Neymar has been out with a serious knee injury since October.

Some fans and analysts had hoped 17-year-old striker Endrick — who is set to join Real Madrid this summer — would provide some cause for optimism by showcasing his talent during the Olympic qualifying tournament. And many supporters had been hoping to see Endrick and the 32-year-old Neymar play together on the Olympic team in Paris and lead Brazil to an unprecedented third straight gold medal.

But the Brazilian teenager scored only twice in seven matches in Olympic qualifying. Argentina’s World Cup-winning midfielder Thiago Almada netted five.

The Olympic football tournament features mainly Under-23 players and does not carry nearly the same status as the World Cup or contintental championships — such as the Copa America that starts in June — but missing out completely still stings the pride of many Brazilians.