Sylvinho's Albania's World Cup elimination marks the end of a 92-year record

Albania was defeated 2-1 by Poland in the semi-finals of the European play-offs, ultimately losing the opportunity to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The defeat not only marked the end of the red and black dream, but also the closure of a historic series in world football.

For the first time since the inaugural World Cup in 1930, the tournament will be held without a Brazilian coach on the bench. Albania, led by former Barcelona player Sylvinho, represented the last hope of preserving this tradition. The elimination by the Poles, led on the pitch by Robert Lewandowski, sealed the end of this unique cycle.

For the first time in a major tournament, the Brazilian national team will be led by a foreign coach, Italian Carlo Ancelotti, breaking a long tradition of local management.

The presence of Brazilian coaches at every World Cup from the 1930 World Cup to the 2022 World Cup was closely linked to Brazil's consistent participation. The South American national team remains the only one to have participated in all 22 editions held in its 92-year history.

On many occasions, Brazilian coaches have not only been in charge of Brazil, but also of other national teams. In 1998, four Brazilian coaches were part of the tournament, including Mario Zagallo, who led Brazil to the final.

A similar situation was seen in 2006, when in addition to Carlos Alberto Parreira with Brazil, three other Brazilian coaches led different teams: Luiz Felipe Scolari with Portugal, Alexandre Guimaraes with Costa Rica and Zico with Japan.

With the elimination of Albania and the absence of a Brazilian coach among the qualified teams, the 2026 World Cup in North America is expected to mark a symbolic turning point in the history of international football.

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