Brazil have officially booked their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a narrow 1-0 win over Paraguay in the South American qualifiers. The result also marked Carlo Ancelotti’s first victory as Brazil manager.
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Vinicius Jr, the Real Madrid forward, scored the only goal of the match in the second half. He capitalized on creative work from Matheus Cunha, who is set to join Manchester United this summer.
The win follows a 0-0 draw against Ecuador in Ancelotti’s debut last week. With this result, Brazil continue their perfect record of qualifying for every World Cup tournament.
“We needed to win and qualify,” said Vinicius Jr. “It wasn’t our best game, but the important thing is we got the job done. Now the coach has more time to build.”
Elsewhere in South America, World Cup champions Argentina drew 1-1 with Colombia in an exciting clash in Buenos Aires.
Luis Diaz gave Colombia the lead with a dazzling solo goal, weaving past three defenders before finishing past Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez.
Argentina went down to ten men with 20 minutes left after Enzo Fernandez received a red card for a dangerous high boot on Kevin Castano.
Despite the disadvantage, Argentina equalized with a late goal from Thiago Almada of Lyon, leaving Colombia four points ahead of seventh-placed Venezuela.
Ecuador also confirmed their spot at the 2026 tournament after a goalless draw against Peru. They now join Brazil and Argentina on the list of confirmed South American qualifiers for the competition, which will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
