Argentina marked their 2026 World Cup qualification with a stunning 4-1 victory over Brazil, securing their place in next year’s tournament
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]rgentina sealed their 2026 World Cup qualification in spectacular fashion with a dominant 4-1 victory over Brazil in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.
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The world champions had already secured their spot in next year’s tournament following Bolivia’s 0-0 draw with Uruguay earlier in the day, and they turned the occasion into a festival of football at the Estadio Monumental.
The Argentine side wasted no time asserting their dominance. Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez opened the scoring in the 6th minute, finishing neatly after a perfectly timed through ball from Thiago Almada.
The hosts quickly doubled their lead just six minutes later when Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez pounced on a low cross from the right, slotting it home with ease.
Despite being completely overwhelmed, Brazil pulled a goal back in the 26th minute thanks to a rare mistake from Argentina’s Cristian Romero.
The Tottenham defender was dispossessed 25 yards from goal, allowing Mattheus Cunha to pounce on the loose ball and finish past Emiliano Martinez to make it 2-1.
However, any hopes of a Brazilian comeback were extinguished shortly after, as Argentina restored their two-goal lead in the 37th minute.
Almada again provided the assist, delivering a lofted pass into the area for Alexis Mac Allister to volley home first time, making it 3-1 to the home side.
Argentina were in complete control and put the game beyond Brazil in the 71st minute. Giuliano Simeone, the 22-year-old son of football legend Diego Simeone, scored his first international goal in spectacular fashion, blasting the ball into the roof of the net from an acute angle to make it 4-1.
The win saw Argentina qualify for the 2026 World Cup, joining hosts the United States, Mexico, and Canada in the tournament.
With 31 points from 14 games, Argentina lead the South American qualifiers with four games to spare and are guaranteed one of the six automatic qualification spots. Brazil, in contrast, remain in fourth place in the standings.
In other South American World Cup qualifying action, Ecuador stayed firmly on track with a 0-0 draw against Chile in Santiago, keeping them in second place with 23 points.
Uruguay’s draw with Bolivia, coupled with Brazil’s heavy defeat, pushed them into third place on goal difference.
Meanwhile, Colombia missed a chance to close the gap on the top spots, drawing 2-2 at home against Paraguay after leading 2-0 early in the match.
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Venezuela, on the other hand, kept their World Cup dreams alive with a vital 1-0 win over Peru, courtesy of a penalty from Salomon Rondon.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
