On July 7, Brazil was eliminated in a penalty shootout by Uruguay in the quarterfinals of the Copa América, marking the fourth time in the last six editions that the Seleção has failed to reach the tournament’s top four.
From 1997 to 2007, Brazil dominated the Copa América, securing four championships in five competitions. However, since the 2011 edition held in Argentina, the Samba team has struggled to maintain its supremacy in South American football. In 2011 and 2015, they were knocked out in the quarterfinals, and in 2016, they suffered the humiliation of not advancing from the group stage.
As hosts in 2019 and 2021, Brazil had brief moments of brilliance, winning one title and finishing as runners-up to their archrivals Argentina in the other. But in this year’s Copa América, away from home soil, the team has seemingly returned to its recent struggles. Aside from a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay in the group stage, Brazil managed just one goal across their other three matches and ultimately fell short of reaching the semifinals.