Brazil and Ecuador have officially punched their tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after crucial qualifying results on Tuesday. Brazil locked in their spot with a 1-0 win over Paraguay in São Paulo, marking Carlo Ancelotti’s first victory in charge. Vinicius Jr. scored the decisive goal just before halftime, finishing a low cross from Matheus Cunha, who had earlier missed a clear header.
Although Brazil didn’t dominate the game, they capitalized on the few chances they created. The win moves them to third in the South American standings with 25 points from 16 matches, enough to guarantee one of the six automatic qualification spots.
Paraguay, sitting on 24 points, now needs just a single point from their remaining fixtures to return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010. Despite the narrow loss to Brazil, their chances remain strong.
Ecuador also secured qualification by earning a point in a goalless draw against Peru in Lima. It’s a big achievement for a side that wasn’t widely expected to qualify so early.
Meanwhile, Uruguay boosted its qualification hopes with a solid 2-0 victory over Venezuela in Montevideo. Rodrigo Aguirre and Giorgian de Arrascaeta found the net to put Uruguay within touching distance of a World Cup return. Like Paraguay, Uruguay now only needs one more point from their final two matches to confirm their place in the tournament.
The battle continues for Venezuela, which is chasing its first-ever World Cup appearance. They currently sit seventh in the table with 18 points, holding onto a potential playoff position.
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, already qualified, were held to a 1-1 draw by Colombia. Luis Diaz opened the scoring for Colombia in the 24th minute, and Argentina went down to 10 men in the second half after Enzo Fernandez received a red card. However, Thiago Almada equalized late to deny Colombia a vital win.
Chile’s World Cup hopes ended after a 2-0 defeat to Bolivia. It marks the third consecutive time Chile has failed to qualify, continuing a steep decline since their Copa América triumphs in 2015 and 2016.
As the qualifiers wrap up, the top six South American teams will earn direct spots at the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, while the seventh-placed team heads to an intercontinental playoff.
By Yockshard Enyendi