In a surprising turn of events, world champions Argentina and football powerhouse Brazil both suffered defeats in their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying matches. Argentina lost 2-1 to Colombia, with James Rodriguez scoring from the penalty spot and providing an assist to secure the win. On the other hand, Neymar was absent as Brazil were upset by Paraguay, with Diego Gomez scoring the only goal of the match. Both teams struggled without their injured stars, failing to secure away wins in their respective matches.
The defeat for Argentina was sweet revenge for Colombia, who had been beaten by Argentina in the Copa America final just months earlier. Yerson Mosquera opened the scoring for Colombia, but Argentina equalised through Nico Gonzalez. However, Rodriguez’s penalty in the second half secured the victory for Colombia at the Metropolitano Stadium. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni acknowledged that the heat had an impact on the match, but credited the Colombians for their win against a team that has won it all.
Paraguay’s victory over Brazil saw Gomez scoring the winning goal from the edge of the box, with the ball deflecting in off the goalkeeper’s post. Despite few opportunities to equalise, Brazil’s coach Dorival Junior had boldly claimed his team would be in the next World Cup final. However, the defeat at the hands of Paraguay highlighted the team’s struggles. Brazil’s squad lacked confidence and struggled to find their best way to play against a defensively sound Paraguay side.
In other CONMEBOL qualifiers on the same day, Bolivia upset Chile, Ecuador beat Peru, and Venezuela drew with Uruguay. Argentina currently leads the round-robin competition with 18 points after eight matches, followed closely by Colombia with 16 points. Uruguay and Ecuador are also in contention for qualification, with Brazil pushed down to fifth place with 10 points. Despite the defeat, Argentina remains on course for a place at the World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
With the tournament expanded to 48 teams, the top six finishers in South American qualifying will earn a place in the finals. The seventh-placed team will enter an inter-confederation playoff, while the bottom three teams will be eliminated from the qualifying competition. The results of these matches have left the CONMEBOL qualifiers evenly poised, with several teams still in contention for a spot in the World Cup 2026 finals. Fans can expect more exciting matches and unpredictable outcomes as the competition progresses.
