By Ezekiel David
Brazil faced their fourth defeat in five qualifying games, losing 1-0 to Paraguay, while Argentina fell 2-1 to Colombia in the latest 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Inter Miami’s Diego Gomez netted the decisive goal for Paraguay in Asuncion after 20 minutes, with Brazil failing to register a first-half shot on target. Key players for Brazil included Liverpool’s Alisson, Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes, and West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta. The Real Madrid trio of Rodrygo, Endrick, and Vinicius Jr led the attack.
Vinicius Jr expressed regret over the performance, telling Globo TV, “I want to apologise 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, he has only five goals from 35 caps for Brazil. “Of course, it’s been a very complicated process because when you don’t have confidence, you don’t get goals,” he added.
Brazil, five-time world champions, now sit fifth in the qualifying table with three wins from eight games. Manager Dorival Jr, appointed in January, saw his team eliminated in the Copa America quarterfinals last summer. Defender Marquinhos commented, “The coach is still figuring out the best way for us to play, and that’s reflected in the result.”
In another match, James Rodriguez scored the winning penalty for Colombia against Argentina, who were without Lionel Messi. Colombia avenged their Copa America final loss to Argentina. Rodriguez, now playing for Rayo Vallecano, assisted Yerson Mosquera’s opening header. Nicolas Gonzalez equalised for Argentina, but a penalty awarded after a VAR review allowed Rodriguez to secure the 60th-minute winner.
Rodriguez remarked, “I don’t think I’ve ever scored against them – there’s a first time for everything.” He added, “This victory tastes even better” against a team that has “won everything.”
Elsewhere, Uruguay’s Manuel Ugarte, recently transferred to Manchester United, played in a 0-0 draw against Venezuela. Argentina remains atop the 10-team table, two points clear of Colombia. The top six teams automatically qualify after 18 rounds, concluding in September 2025, with seventh place entering an intercontinental play-off.
In Asia, Australia’s qualifiers saw a 0-0 draw against Indonesia, following a 1-0 home loss to Bahrain. Japan secured a 5-0 victory over Bahrain, with Premier League stars Wataru Endo, Kaoru Mitoma, and Daichi Kamada starting. South Korea achieved a 3-1 win over Oman, with goals from Tottenham’s Son Heung-min and Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan.
(Source: BBC)
