Brazil has officially made it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after beating Paraguay 1-0 in São Paulo. This was their first win under new coach Carlo Ancelotti, who is now leading the team that has won the tournament five times.
The only goal of the match came just before halftime. Vinicius Jr. scored from close range after receiving a low cross from Matheus Cunha, who recently joined Manchester United. The goal was enough for Brazil to win the tense qualifier at the Neo Química Arena.
Brazil’s qualification was confirmed because Venezuela had lost to Uruguay earlier. That result, along with Brazil’s win, guaranteed their place in the tournament, which will take place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Brazil now has 25 points from 16 games and is in third place, ensuring they finish in the top six.
Ancelotti, who turned 66 on the same day, praised the team for staying focused and playing with determination. He said the first half went very well, but the second half was harder since Paraguay played strong defense and Brazil slowed down.
Matheus Cunha had missed a big chance earlier in the match, heading wide in the 35th minute. But he quickly made up for it by helping set up the winning goal with a sharp pass to Vinicius Jr.
Even though Paraguay lost, they are still very close to qualifying. They have 24 points and need just one more point in their final matches to make it to their first World Cup since 2010.
Ecuador also qualified for the World Cup after a 0-0 draw with Peru in Lima. The point from that match was enough to confirm their place in the 2026 tournament.
Uruguay helped their qualification chances with a 2-0 home win against Venezuela. Rodrigo Aguirre and Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored to bring Marcelo Bielsa’s team within one point of reaching the World Cup.
Venezuela still has a chance to qualify. They are in seventh place with 18 points and currently hold the playoff spot that leads to an intercontinental match for a final chance at qualification.
Argentina, who already qualified, played a 1-1 draw against Colombia in Buenos Aires. Luis Diaz gave Colombia the lead in the 24th minute. Argentina went down to 10 men after Enzo Fernandez got a red card, but Thiago Almada scored the equalizer in the 81st minute.
Chile’s hopes of reaching the World Cup ended after a 2-0 loss to Bolivia. This result means Chile has failed to qualify for the tournament three times in a row, which is a big setback for the former Copa America winners.
Only two matches remain in the South American qualifiers. The top six teams will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, while the team that finishes seventh will get one last chance through an intercontinental playoff.
