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TL;DR
- Brazil suffered their fourth defeat in five World Cup qualifying matches, losing 1-0 to Paraguay and dropping to fifth place in the standings despite fielding star players.
- Argentina, playing without Lionel Messi, lost 2-1 to Colombia in a rematch of the Copa America final, with James Rodriguez scoring the winning penalty for Colombia.
- Despite the losses, Argentina remains at the top of the 10-team South American qualifying table, while Brazil’s struggles continue under new manager Dorival Jr.
- The top six teams will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup after 18 rounds of fixtures, with the seventh-placed team entering an intercontinental playoff.
Brazil and Argentina, two of South America’s football powerhouses, both suffered defeats in their latest 2026 World Cup qualifying matches on Tuesday.
Brazil continued their disappointing run with a 1-0 loss to Paraguay in Asuncion. Inter Miami midfielder Diego Gomez scored the only goal of the match after 20 minutes, as Brazil failed to register a single shot on target in the first half. Despite fielding a strong lineup including Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, and Real Madrid attackers Rodrygo, Endrick, and Vinicius Jr, the five-time world champions struggled to make an impact.
This defeat marks Brazil’s fourth loss in their last five qualifying games, leaving them in fifth place in the South American qualifying table with only three wins from eight matches. Brazilian defender Marquinhos acknowledged the team’s difficulties, stating, “The coach is still figuring out the best way for us to play and that’s reflected in the result. There are a lot of new players, we are lacking confidence.”
Meanwhile, Argentina, playing without their talisman Lionel Messi, suffered a 2-1 defeat to Colombia in Barranquilla. Former Real Madrid and Everton midfielder James Rodriguez proved to be the hero for Colombia, scoring the winning goal from the penalty spot. The match was a reversal of fortunes for Colombia, who had lost to Argentina in the Copa America final just two months ago.
Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera opened the scoring for Colombia with a header in the 25th minute. Argentina equalized through Nicolas Gonzalez shortly after halftime, but a penalty awarded after a VAR review allowed Rodriguez to secure the victory for the hosts.
Rodriguez, now playing for Rayo Vallecano, expressed his satisfaction with the win, saying, “We want to get used to playing finals. Today was just another game, but against a team that has won everything – this victory tastes even better.”
Despite the loss, Argentina remains at the top of the 10-team South American qualifying table, two points ahead of second-placed Colombia. The qualifying process for the 2026 World Cup will continue until September 2025, with the top six teams automatically qualifying for the tournament.
In other qualifying matches, Uruguay drew 0-0 with Venezuela, while in Asia, Australia was held to a goalless draw by Indonesia. Japan impressed with a 5-0 victory over Bahrain, and South Korea secured their first win in the qualifying campaign with a 3-1 triumph over Oman.
News Source: BBC
