END OF BRAZILIAN MAGIC IN FOOTBALL

Brazilian soccer 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 after Brazil failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics...

Brazilian soccer 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 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.