Brazil, gold medalist in the 2020 Tokyo and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, was left out of the guest list for the Paris event on Sunday due to an irregular campaign in the Sub-23 South American Championship, which even the jewel Endrick couldn't save, and whose future is tied to Real Madrid.

Brazil, with seven titles, is the top winner in these South American qualifying tournaments for the Olympics. They closed a forgettable campaign on Sunday in Caracas, a campaign that coach Ramón Menezes refused to define as a failure, according to headlines from a large part of the country's sports press.

"We couldn't leave with a happy ending," Menezes nuanced during a press conference after the 0-1 defeat to Argentina in Caracas, sealing Brazil's elimination and Argentina's qualification.

"It's frustrating, it's unpleasant. Everyone will suffer here with what happened. But now we have to lift our heads," added the coach.

Brazil chose to play on the opponent's mistake on Sunday, which needed to win to qualify for the Paris Games, and risked little in attack until they conceded Luciano Gondou's goal.

Endrick, the most media-covered Brazilian in the Pre-Olympic South American tournament, hosted for the first time by Venezuela, was not enough to straighten the course of Verdeamarela.

He left the tournament with only two goals, far from the five that crowned Paraguayan Diego Gómez and Uruguayan Luciano Rodríguez.

Endrick, the Palmeiras star who must move to Real Madrid in July or August, was isolated in the attacking front of the Brazilian team by Javier Mascherano's pupils.

Playing far from the goal and with his back to the Albiceleste goal, he suffered and, to make matters worse, lacked partners of weight, as the coach chose to do without John Kenney, the striker who gave Fluminese the goal of the 2023 Copa Libertadores title.

Brazil defeated Bolivia 1-0 in the debut with a goal from Endrick. Against Colombia, they won 2-0 in the second match with a goal from their star, and then beat Ecuador 2-1.

Menezes' team was surprised by Venezuela, who beat them 3-1, and from then on, it seemed that the figure of the 17-year-old forward born in Taguatinga was beginning to fade.

Endrick missed the opportunity to score a penalty against Paraguay in the first match of the final quadrangular, and his country lost 1-0. Against Venezuela, he had a goal disallowed, but Canarinha won with anguish and controversy by 2-1.

With Sunday's defeat against Argentina, Brazil bid farewell to the tournament with a third-place that tastes like nothing, three points out of nine possible, and Endrick embittered with his first international disappointment