Brazil and Ecuador have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after securing crucial results in their South American qualifiers on Tuesday.
With these victories, they join defending champions Argentina as the first three teams from the CONMEBOL region to book their tickets to the tournament, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Brazil clinched a 1-0 win against Paraguay in São Paulo, thanks to a decisive goal from Vinicius Jr. just before halftime.
The result ensured Brazil’s qualification with 25 points and continued their flawless record of appearing in every edition of the World Cup since its inception in 1930.
The match marked a successful home debut for Brazil’s new coach, Carlo Ancelotti. Reflecting on the result, Vinicius Jr. said, “I’m very happy with today’s result. We needed to win at home for our fans and secure qualification. Today wasn’t one of our best performances, but the important thing is to win and prepare for the World Cup.”
Ecuador also reached 25 points after a goalless draw with Peru, mathematically confirming their qualification with two games to spare.
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The Ecuadorian side held their ground despite playing the final 20 minutes with 10 men following Alan Franco’s red card. The point effectively eliminated Peru, who are stuck on 12 points and now trail seventh-placed Venezuela by six points.
The remaining three automatic qualification spots are currently occupied by Uruguay (24 points), Paraguay (24), and Colombia (22). Venezuela sits in seventh place with 18 points and would currently qualify for an inter-confederation playoff if the standings hold.
In Montevideo, Uruguay edged closer to securing their place with a 2-0 win over Venezuela. Rodrigo Aguirre opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, heading home from a Maxi Araujo corner.
Giorgian De Arrascaeta added a second just after the break with a powerful shot into the top-left corner. The victory ended a four-game winless streak for Marcelo Bielsa’s side and ensured they can guarantee qualification with just one point from their remaining matches against Peru and Chile.
Elsewhere, Argentina, who had already qualified in March, drew 1-1 with Colombia. Thiago Almada rescued a point with a late equaliser in the 81st minute after Luis Diaz had given Colombia the lead. The result helped Argentina avoid a second consecutive defeat to Nestor Lorenzo’s Colombian side.
Chile’s slim hopes of qualifying were extinguished following a 2-0 defeat in Bolivia. In the wake of the loss, Chile’s head coach Ricardo Gareca announced his resignation, bringing an end to his tenure with La Roja.
With only two qualifying fixtures left in September, the battle for the remaining slots remains intense. Brazil and Ecuador can now turn their attention toward tournament preparations, while other teams continue to fight for a place on the world’s biggest football stage.
