Bernardinho names Brazil’s 14 for a crucial 2026 South American Championship

Bernardinho has named the 14 players who will represent Brazil at the 2026 Men’s South American Championship, a tournament carrying consequences far beyond the continental title itself. From September 15 to 20, the Maracanãzinho in Rio de Janeiro will host six national teams — Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela — with a direct place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games awaiting the champions.

The stakes are equally high for the teams chasing the podium: the top three finishers will also secure qualification for the 2027 FIVB Volleyball World Cup. The competition will be played in a single round-robin format, with each team facing the other five once. Friday will be the only rest day before the tournament reaches its conclusion on Sunday.

Brazil will open its campaign on Tuesday evening against Chile at 20:00 local time, completing the opening day after Argentina face Venezuela and Colombia meet Bolivia.

Brazil’s 14-player roster

Setters: Fernando Cachopa, Matheus Brasília
Opposites: Darlan, Bryan
Outside hitters: Lucarelli, Adriano, Honorato, Arthur Bento, Lukas Bergmann
Middle blockers: Flávio, Judson, Matheus Pinta
Liberos: Maique, Pureza

The selection comes after a long preparation period that included international matches in Japan, Italy and France. Douglas Souza, who was part of the wider group during the preparation period, is not included in the final 14, while the coaching staff have opted for a squad combining experience with several players who have taken on increasingly important roles in the national team.

There is plenty of experience at the heart of Bernardinho’s group. Ricardo Lucarelli remains one of Brazil’s most recognisable international stars, while Darlan provides a major attacking option from the opposite position and Flávio brings experience in the middle. The roster also includes Lukas Bergmann, Arthur Bento, Adriano and Honorato, giving Brazil considerable depth on the wings.
The hosts enter the tournament as one of the clear favourites, but their recent continental history adds an intriguing layer to the challenge. Brazil’s extraordinary run of 28 consecutive South American titles was finally ended by Argentina in 2023, when the Argentinians returned to the top of the podium for the first time in 56 years.

Argentina therefore arrive in Rio as defending champions and Brazil’s biggest obstacle to reclaiming the continental crown. Led by first-year head coach Horacio Dileo, the team can call on veterans such as setter Luciano De Cecco, middle blocker Agustín Loser and outside hitter Luciano Palonsky. Playing in front of a Brazilian crowd will make the challenge even greater, but Argentina have already shown that they can break Brazil’s dominance.

The remaining four teams will be looking to turn the battle between the traditional powers into a much more open race. Chile, currently 30th in the FIVB World Ranking, have five South American Championship medals and will be hoping that the experience of Vicente Parraguirre, Dusan Bonacic and setter Matías Banda can push them towards another podium finish.
Colombia have emerged as one of the continent’s most interesting developing teams. Bronze medallists in 2023, they will again look towards opposite Miguel Ángel Martínez, outside hitter Andrés Piza and middle blocker Daniel Carabali as they attempt to challenge for the top three.
Venezuela, meanwhile, return with a history that includes Olympic appearances at Beijing 2008 and Tokyo 2020. Setter Armando Escalante, opposite Emerson González and outside hitter Jesús Gómez are among the players expected to lead their challenge.
Bolivia complete the six-team field and return to the South American Championship for the first time since 2019. With setter Dennis Vera and middle blocker Yerko Fernandez among their key players, they will have the opportunity not only to challenge the established order but also to collect valuable FIVB World Ranking points.

For Brazil, however, the objective is unmistakable. The national team finished ninth in the 2026 VNL and missed the Finals, its first absence from the final phase of the competition in the event’s history. The South American Championship therefore represents both an opportunity to recover momentum and a direct route to the biggest prize available at this stage of the Olympic qualification cycle.

There is also a particularly symbolic backdrop in Rio.
Only two days before the men’s tournament begins, Brazil’s women’s team won the South American Championship at the same Maracanãzinho, defeating Argentina 3–0 to claim the title and secure its own ticket to Los Angeles 2028. The Brazilian women completed a perfect campaign without dropping a set, setting the stage for the men to attempt the same feat on home soil.

Now the spotlight moves to Bernardinho and his 14 players. Six teams have arrived in Rio, but only one will leave with the Olympic ticket.

The road to Los Angeles starts at the Maracanãzinho.

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