Vinicius secures Brazil's World Cup spot under Ancelotti

Brazil will be present at the 2026 World Cup. A goal by Vinicius at the end of the first half of the match held at the Neo Química Arena in Sao Paulo was enough to defeat Paraguay, secure the five-time champions' qualification for the World Cup to be held next year in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and give Carlo Ancelotti his first victory with the 'Canarinha'.

It wasn't a brilliant triumph but undoubtedly a valuable one for Brazil in a match where the 'Verdeamarela' arrived in a very precarious position in the standings, but emerged victorious mainly thanks to Vinicius's performance. The Real Madrid '7' carried the team on his shoulders to solve the situation with a goal in the 44th minute, marking the first joy for his fans in the new era with Carletto on the bench.

The player from Fluminense took advantage of a back pass from Matheus Cunha to calm the nerves of the 'Selecao' supporters, before leaving with muscle discomfort in the 78th minute of the second half, which should not jeopardize his presence next Wednesday in Real Madrid's Club World Cup debut against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal.

Four days after the goalless draw against Ecuador, Ancelotti decided to make several changes for Brazil to overcome the tough Paraguay, and the improvement shown by the 'Canarinha' was noticeable. With Vinicius as the main offensive reference in a 4-2-3-1 formation that placed Gabriel Martinelli, Matheus Cunha, and Raphinha behind Brazil's '10', the 'Verdeamarela' soon took control of the match, although it struggled to create chances against the solid Paraguayan team.

Cunha had a good opportunity to break through the Paraguayan defense with a clear shot that the new Manchester United forward failed to convert, but he redeemed himself shortly after by assisting Vinicius in the play that resulted in the only goal of the match. Although Brazil did not increase their lead in the second half, they hardly faced any trouble, ending Paraguay's nine-match unbeaten streak and securing a crucial victory to confirm their World Cup ticket and calm the waters.

Although they still lack sharpness, the two consecutive matches without conceding a goal since Ancelotti's arrival are a good starting point to believe in the revival of the five-time world champions, who are now third in the South American qualifying standings with 25 points, the same as Ecuador, but far from Argentina's 35 points.

La Albiceleste could not get past a 1-1 draw against Colombia in a match that was a rematch of the last Copa América final. Luis Díaz, who continues to be linked with Barcelona, put the Colombian team ahead in the first half, but Thiago Almada equalized in the second half to rescue the reigning world champions, who were reduced to ten men after Enzo Fernández received a red card for a harsh tackle on Kevin Castaño.

Leo Messi and Julián Álvarez formed the starting forward line chosen by Lionel Scaloni at the Estadio Mâs Monumental in Buenos Aires. The young midfielder Franco Mastantuono, who is finalizing his move to Real Madrid, did not make it onto the pitch in a match that did feature Atlético players Nahuel Molina and Rodrigo De Paul.