In the latest 2026 World Cup qualifying matches, Brazil and Argentina faced significant setbacks. Brazil experienced their fourth loss in five qualifying games, falling 1-0 to Paraguay.
The match, held in Asuncion, saw Inter Miami’s Diego Gomez score the decisive goal after 20 minutes. Brazil failed to register a shot on target in the first half. Key players for Brazil included Liverpool's Alisson, Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes, and West Ham's Lucas Paqueta, with Rodrygo, Endrick, and Vinicius Jr leading the attack.
Vinicius Jr, speaking to Globo, acknowledged the current difficulties, stating, “I want to apologize to the fans, I know it's a difficult time, but we just want to improve.” Despite scoring over 20 goals for Real Madrid in each of the last three seasons, Vinicius has only managed five goals in 35 appearances for Brazil and did not score at the 2022 World Cup. He added, “I know my potential, what I can do for the national team. Of course, it's been a very complicated process because when you don't have confidence, you don't get goals.”
Brazil’s defeat leaves them fifth in the qualifying standings with just three wins from eight games. Manager Dorival Jr, who was appointed in January, saw his team exit the Copa America in the quarter-finals. Defender Marquinhos noted, “The coach is still figuring out the best way for us to play and that's reflected in the result. There are a lot of new players, we are lacking confidence. Qualifying isn't easy, it's a difficult time and we have to know how to manage it. It's a time of transition, we're not feeling confident. We're going to work hard, getting results on the pitch is the best answer.”
In a Copa America rematch, Argentina were defeated 2-1 by Colombia, who avenged their previous loss in the final. Former Real Madrid and Everton midfielder James Rodriguez scored the winning goal from the penalty spot. Rodriguez, now with La Liga’s Rayo Vallecano, provided the assist for Wolves' Yerson Mosquera to score the opening goal in the 25th minute. Argentina’s Nicolas Gonzalez equalized three minutes after the break, but a foul by Nicolas Otamendi on Crystal Palace’s Daniel Munoz led to a penalty after a VAR review. Rodriguez converted the penalty in the 60th minute. Rodriguez commented, “I don't think I've ever scored against them - there's a first time for everything. We want to get used to playing finals. Today was just another game, but against a team that has won everything - this victory tastes even better.”
In other qualifying matches, Uruguay's Manuel Ugarte, who joined Manchester United from Paris Saint-Germain, played in their 0-0 draw against Venezuela. Argentina remains at the top of the 10-team table, two points ahead of second-placed Colombia. The top six teams will automatically qualify after 18 rounds, with the seventh-placed team entering an intercontinental play-off.
In Asia, Australia's World Cup qualifiers saw them draw 0-0 with Indonesia after a 1-0 loss to Bahrain at home. Japan, also in Australia’s group, achieved a 5-0 victory over Bahrain with Premier League players Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), and Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace) all starting. South Korea secured their first win in World Cup 2026 qualifying, defeating Oman 3-1, with Tottenham’s Son Heung-min and Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan scoring.
