Jorge Jesus was close to coaching Brazil and revealed which Flamengo player he would have called up!
Jesus was close to the Brazilian national team and praised Pedro
Coach Jorge Jesus, recently introduced as the new manager of Portugal, gave a revealing interview to Canal 11. In it, the Portuguese coach opened up about negotiations that brought him very close to taking charge of the Brazilian national team after the 2026 World Cup. The coach stated that he had received instructions from the CBF to prepare a preliminary list of called-up players, indicating how advanced the talks were.
Advanced negotiations and the national team’s delicate moment
The negotiations with the CBF progressed to the point where Jesus dedicated himself to assembling a preliminary call-up for the first half of 2025. The coach recalled that the invitation came during a turbulent period for Brazilian football, shortly after the significant 4-1 defeat against Argentina. “I ended up not coaching the Brazilian national team, but I already had indications to make the preliminary call-up for the game that would happen in March,” said the manager, who also acknowledged that the national team’s first official match date after that period was in June 2025, under the command of Carlo Ancelotti.
Pedro, Jorge Jesus’s choice
When asked about potential differences regarding Ancelotti‘s work and the choices for the national team, Jorge Jesus did not hesitate to praise forward Pedro, from Flamengo, whom he worked with in 2020. The coach highlighted the Flamengo striker as the best in his position in Brazil currently. “I think, at this moment, the best center forward in Brazil is Pedro. This is a bit biased because he was my player, but I agree with most of the choices made. And then, the difference would be in the way of looking at the game and training,” pointed out Jesus.
A long-term project
Despite taking over Portugal, Jorge Jesus revealed that the desire to coach national teams is a long-standing goal in his career. Before approaching Brazil, the coach was close to an agreement with Saudi Arabia but opted for a return to Al-Hilal. At 71 years old, the Portuguese coach arrives in Portugal with the mission of initiating a renewal process targeting the 2030 World Cup, confident in his experience with 12 players who have passed through his clubs, including Benfica, Sporting, and Al-Hilal. For Jesus, coaching his country’s national team is the “cherry on top” of his career.
