[Illusion]

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Carlos Alberto Parreira quit as coach of Brazil on Wednesday, three weeks after the team was stunned 1-0 by France and eliminated in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

Parreira said he wanted to rest and spend time with his family after four years in charge of the five-time World Cup champions, the Brazil soccer confederation said in a statement.

Parreira, who coached Brazil to its fourth Cup title in 1994, had a roster laden with All-Stars, making his team a strong favorite to win the World Cup.

But the team looked lethargic in its early wins against Croatia, Australia, Japan and Ghana -- none of them soccer powers. In a quarterfinal match against France, which beat Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 Cup final, Thierry Henry scored the lone goal and sent Brazil home early.

The Brazilian soccer confederation did not immediately name a replacement for Parreira. The club is to face Norway in an exhibition match in Oslo on Aug. 16.