Rio de Janeiro: Brazil clinched a spot in the 2026 World Cup after defeating Paraguay 1-0 in a crucial qualifying match. Vinicius Junior scored the decisive goal, ensuring Brazil’s participation in the tournament and adding another accolade to their storied football history.
According to Thai News Agency, the match took place at Arena Corinthians, where Brazil, led by Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, faced Paraguay in the South American zone qualifiers. The game saw its pivotal moment in the 44th minute when Matheus Cunha, Manchester United’s new center forward, delivered a precise cross to Vinicius Junior, who capitalized with a goal that gave Brazil the lead. However, Vinicius Junior’s performance was cut short in the 78th minute due to a groin injury, prompting his substitution and requiring medical examination. The game almost saw a second goal for Brazil in the 89th minute when Bruno Guimaraes’ powerful shot was expertly saved by Paraguayan goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez.
The match concluded with Brazil se
curing a 1-0 victory and earning three points, bringing their total to 25 points from 16 matches. This victory guarantees their place in the 2026 World Cup finals, following Argentina as the second team to qualify. Paraguay, with 24 points, remains in fifth place in the standings.
In another match at the Mas Monumental stadium, Argentina, who has already qualified for the finals, faced Colombia. In the 24th minute, Liverpool winger Luis Diaz scored for Colombia, giving them a 1-0 lead. Argentina was reduced to 10 players in the 71st minute when Enzo Fernandez received a red card for a high challenge. Despite being a player down, Argentina equalized in the 81st minute with a goal from Thiago Almada, resulting in a 1-1 draw. Argentina leads the standings with 35 points, while Colombia holds 22 points in sixth place.
Elsewhere, Bolivia defeated Chile 2-0, Uruguay overcame Venezuela 2-0, and Peru held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw. Ecuador, with 25 points, matches Brazil’s tally and secures the third qualifying spot in
the South American zone.
In European zone qualifiers, Romania triumphed over Cyprus 2-0, Serbia beat Andorra 3-0, Latvia and Albania drew 1-1, San Marino fell to Austria 0-4, Finland edged Poland 2-1, and the Netherlands dominated Malta with an 8-0 victory.