Brazil and Argentina, two of football’s giants, both faced setbacks in their respective World Cup qualifying matches on Tuesday, raising concerns as the road to the 2026 World Cup continues.
Brazil’s loss came at the hands of Paraguay, with a 1-0 defeat that marks their fourth in the last five qualifiers. This result leaves the Seleção sitting uncomfortably in fifth place in the standings. Only the top six teams will automatically qualify for the tournament, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The decisive moment for Paraguay came when Diego Gómez curled a stunning shot into the net from the edge of the box, bouncing it off the post with a precise outside-of-the-foot strike. Brazil had a chance to equalize shortly after, but Paraguay’s defense, led by Júnior Alonso, managed to clear a shot off the line. Despite dominating possession with 71%, Brazil only managed three shots on target. Vinícius Jr. threatened twice in the second half but couldn’t beat Gatito Fernández, Paraguay’s sharp goalkeeper.
Brazil’s recent form under head coach Dorival Júnior has been troubling, continuing a string of poor performances since being knocked out of the Copa América by Uruguay. A narrow 1-0 win over Ecuador last week offered brief relief, but the pressure is clearly mounting.
Meanwhile, Argentina also stumbled, falling 2-1 to Colombia in a match that, despite the result, leaves them at the top of the standings. Colombia’s James Rodríguez orchestrated his team’s success, assisting the opening goal with a precise cross and later converting a penalty after a VAR review. Argentina’s Nicolás González had leveled the match, but a foul by Nicolás Otamendi allowed Rodríguez to restore Colombia’s lead.
Argentina played without their star forward Lionel Messi, who is still recovering from an ankle injury sustained in the Copa América final. Manager Lionel Scaloni hopes Messi will return for the next round of qualifiers in October. Argentina has won six out of eight qualifiers and remains two points ahead of Colombia, who remain unbeaten.
