Buenos Aires ∙ Brazil captain Marquinhos apologized to the fans for the heavy defeat against Argentina. “It is difficult to talk about this defeat. We played very badly. Argentina played smartly. I apologize to the fans…” – Marquinhos, a player of the French club PSG, said. Marquinhos came out in support of coach Dorival Junior, who is receiving severe criticism. “It is not the coach’s fault alone. We are all responsible for this…” Brazil has played 16 matches under Dorival, winning only 7.
“It’s not just the coach’s fault… It’s the players’ fault too,” Marquinhos said.
“There’s no secret formula in football where you make a choice and it works out. We can all do better. We have to share the blame.
“It’s about understanding the moment and being humble.”
While Argentina have already secured their place at the 2026 World Cup, Brazil still have work to do to claim an automatic berth in North America.
They are fourth in the South American standings on 21 points, just six points ahead of Venezuela in seventh place, which carries a spot in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni was thrilled by his side’s performance.
“We played as a team and that’s why we minimized Brazil. We played at the highest level,” he told reporters.
“We have to keep proving ourselves, but knowing that it won’t always be like this.”
