Brazil and Argentina Fall in World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Brazil suffered their fourth loss in five World Cup qualifying games, falling 1-0 to Paraguay, while Argentina were defeated 2-1 by Colombia in the latest round of matches for the 2026 World Cup. Inter Miami's Diego Gomez scored the only goal for Paraguay in Asuncion after just 20 minutes. Brazil, despite fielding a star-studded team that included Alisson, Bruno Guimaraes, Lucas Paqueta, and the attacking trio of Rodrygo, Endrick, and Vinicius Jr, failed to register a single shot on target in the first half. Vinicius Jr expressed his frustration, apologizing to the fans and acknowledging Brazil's struggles. "I want to apologize to the fans... it’s been a very complicated process because when you don't have confidence, you don't get goals," the Real Madrid winger told Globo. Brazil, five-time world champions, currently sit fifth in the qualifying table, with just three wins from eight games. Manager Dorival Jr, appointed in January, is still working to find a successful strategy for his team. In a Copa America rematch, Colombia defeated Argentina 2-1 in Barranquilla. Former Real Madrid star James Rodriguez delivered the game-winning penalty in the 60th minute, after Nicolas Otamendi fouled Daniel Munoz. Earlier, Rodriguez had assisted Yerson Mosquera for Colombia’s opener, before Argentina’s Nicolas Gonzalez equalized.

This victory was sweet revenge for Colombia, who lost to Argentina in the Copa America final just two months ago. Rodriguez, now with Rayo Vallecano, celebrated his first goal against the reigning world champions. Elsewhere, Uruguay played to a 0-0 draw with Venezuela, with Manchester United's new signing Manuel Ugarte starting for his national team.

Argentina remain top of the 10-team table, two points ahead of Colombia. The top six teams will automatically qualify after 18 rounds of fixtures, which will conclude in September 2025. In Asia's World Cup qualifiers, Australia were held to a 0-0 draw by Indonesia, while Japan recorded an impressive 5-0 win against Bahrain, with Wataru Endo, Kaoru Mitoma, and Daichi Kamada all contributing to the victory. South Korea also notched their first win, defeating Oman 3-1, with Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan finding the net. ⚡ Image Credit: GettyImages