Defending champion Argentina, held to a 1-1 draw by Colombia, had already qualified and is assured of finishing atop South American qualifying.
Brazil’s Vinicius Junior, center, scores his side’s opening goal against Paraguay during a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. | Photo Credit: AP
Brasilia: Brazil qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 1-0 win over Paraguay. Vinicius Junior scored the only goal of the match in the 44th minute. Vinicius scored from a great assist by Matheus Cunha. The goal gave Brazil a crucial lead just before half-time. Brazil is the only team to have qualified for every World Cup since 1930.
This was the first victory since Carlo Ancelotti took over as Brazil coach. Brazil dominated the match throughout. They had 73 percent of the ball possession. They had four shots on target. Brazil also excelled in passing accuracy. Brazil completed 85 percent of their passes. With the win, Brazil now has 25 points from qualifying. They are third in the South American qualifying table.
