Brazil secured their spot in the 2026 World Cup in North America on Tuesday, defeating Paraguay 1-0. This victory marks the first win under new coach Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure.
It ensures the five-time world champions, the only team to have participated in every World Cup edition, will once again be in the finals.
The decisive goal came from Vinicius Jr. in the 44th minute in Sao Paulo. The Real Madrid star bundled home from close range after a cross from Manchester United’s new signing, Matheus Cunha.
Despite a somewhat lacklustre performance up to that point, with Cunha having squandered an earlier opportunity, his assist proved pivotal.
Uruguay’s earlier 2-0 victory over Venezuela had set the stage, meaning that both Brazil and Paraguay could qualify with a point or a win, respectively.
Credit: Sports Illustrated
Brazil seized their chance, with Vinicius’s goal cementing their automatic qualification. The win lifts Brazil to third place in the South American standings with 25 points from 16 games, guaranteeing them a top-six finish. Paraguay, with 24 points, now needs just one more point to secure their first World Cup appearance since 2010.
In other South American qualifiers, Uruguay moved closer to qualification with their win over Venezuela, while Chile was eliminated after a 2-0 defeat to Bolivia. This marks the third consecutive World Cup absence for Chile, a dramatic decline for the team that won back-to-back Copa Américas in 2015 and 2016.
Meanwhile, already-qualified Argentina came from behind to draw 1-1 with Colombia in Buenos Aires. Despite Liverpool star Luis Diaz putting Colombia ahead and Enzo Fernandez’s dismissal reducing Argentina to 10 men, Thiago Almada secured a late equaliser for the world champions.
The top six teams in the CONMEBOL standings automatically qualify for the World Cup, with the seventh-placed team advancing to an intercontinental playoff.
