Dunga and Lugano say Brazil World Cup exit was no surprise

Dunga and Diego Lugano agreed Brazil’s World Cup elimination was no shock, a verdict that cuts against the old image of the Seleção as football’s untouchable benchmark. The reaction lands hardest because Dunga himself once stood at the center of Brazil’s golden standard.

Dunga captained Brazil when it won the World Cup in 1994 in the United States, lifting the trophy as the country claimed a fourth title, a milestone no nation had reached before. He later coached Brazil in two separate spells and guided the side to the Copa América in 2007 and the Confederations Cup in 2009. His tenure ended twice in disappointment, after Brazil’s elimination at the 2010 World Cup and again after the Copa América Centenario in 2016. That record gives weight to his view that championships are built through preparation, shared analysis and discipline.

Lugano, the former Uruguay international who has become a familiar analyst of South American football, brought the same blunt reading. Brazil’s exit, in his view, did not belong in the category of shock results. It fit a pattern that has followed the national team for years, as its historic reputation continues to collide with results that no longer guarantee automatic superiority.

The wider tournament picture has reinforced that sense of change. FIFA singled out Erling Haaland in February 2026 as one of its 26 Superstars for 2026, and Norway has ridden his goals into uncharted territory. Norway opened with a 4-1 win over Iraq, then Haaland scored twice against Senegal to send the team into the round of 32. He later struck in the 85th minute to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 and secure Norway’s first World Cup knockout victory.

Put side by side, the two stories show how much the sport has shifted. Brazil’s name still carries the memory of 1994 and Dunga’s triumph in the United States, but the present has become less forgiving. Norway’s rise and Haaland’s scoring run underline a football landscape in which reputation matters less than execution.