Brazilian football fans were already disappointed 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 on Sunday after Brazil failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics, thanks to a loss to archrivals Argentina, meaning the two-time defending champions 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 Olympics, but those blips didn’t coincide with a crisis for the senior national team.

Brazil are only in sixth place in South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and their 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.

But the Brazilian teenager scored only twice in seven matches in Olympic qualifying. Argentina’s World Cup-winning midfielder Thiago Almada netted five.

The Olympic football tournament features mainly under-23 players and does not carry the same status as the World Cup but missing out completely still stings the pride of many Brazilians.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s senior team will return to action in March in friendlies against England and Spain amid serious concerns about its current form.

Last year, Brazil lost a home match in World Cup qualifying for the first time ever, 1-0 to Argentina.