New Portugal coach Jorge Jesus has revealed how close he came to taking charge of Brazil's national team last year.
The Portuguese manager was at the helm of Saudi giants Al Hilal when Brazil's Football Confederation (CBF) approached him in March 2025 shortly after dismissing Dorival Júnior following the country's biggest ever loss in World Cup qualifying, a 4-1 reverse to Argentina in Buenos Aires.
Jorge Jesus was the leading candidate to replace Dorival but the deal did not materialise as he was under contract with Al Hilal.
"I ended up not taking charge of the Brazilian national team, but I'd already been approached to draw up the preliminary squad for the match after they had lost 4-1 to Argentina," Jorge Jesus, 71, told Canal 11.
Jorge Jesus eventually parted company with Al Hilal on May 3 but by then, the CBF had already held talks with Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian manager became Brazil's first foreign coach on May 12, 2025, shortly after leaving Real Madrid.
Brazil, under Ancelotti, exited the World Cup after a 2-1 loss to Norway in the round of 16.
Asked what was missing for Brazil at the tournament, Jorge Jesus said: "I'd say Portugal is the Brazil of Europe... Lots of individual quality, but then when the World Cup comes around... Brazil haven't been champions for 22 years.
"They say, 'Ah, but we're the country with the most titles.' That's true. That's the past; they haven't won for 22 years. And they always have great players. But then they can't put together a great national team."
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Asked what he would have done differently had he been in charge of Brazil at the World Cup, Jorge Jesus -- who is considered the most successful coach of Flamengo, having steered the Brazilian giants to five major trophies from June 2019 to July 2020 -- said:
"Brazilian players are born to play; even in the Brazilian league there's a lot of quality. "Would I have picked a different squad to Ancelotti's? Of course, for one or two players, yes. I think that, at the moment, the best centre-forward in Brazilian football is [Flamengo forward] Pedro. Perhaps I'm a bit biased because he was one of my players at Flamengo. But I think, for the most part, I'd agree with what he [Ancelotti] did.
"But then there's the personal touch, the way of looking at the game, the way of coaching. Those are the differences. The way each manager views the game and puts their ideas into practice."
Jorge Jesus succeeded Roberto Martínez after Portugal's round-of-16 exit from the World Cup earlier this month shortly after guiding Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr to the Saudi Pro-League title.