Brazil, Ecuador qualify for 2026 Fifa World Cup finals
Brazil and Ecuador secured their spots at the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, taking the second and third of South America's six automatic qualifying berths after champions Argentina booked their ticket in March.
Brazil beat Paraguay 1-0 while Ecuador drew 0-0 with Peru as both teams climbed to 25 points with two matches to play, beyond the reach of Venezuela in seventh place.
Uruguay (24 points), Paraguay (24) and Colombia (22) occupy the remaining three automatic qualification positions ahead of the final two fixtures in September.
Venezuela (18) would earn a playoff spot against a team from another confederation by finishing seventh. In Sao Paulo, a goal from Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Jr. on the stroke of halftime made it a winning home debut for Brazil's new coach Carlo Ancelotti.
"I'm very happy with today's result. We needed to win at home for our fans too and qualify for the World Cup, which was our goal," Vinicius said.
"Now (Ancelotti) will have more time to work, to see what he can improve. Today wasn't one of our best games, but the important thing in qualifying is to win and prepare well for the World Cup."
Brazil extended their record as the only team to play in every edition of the World Cup, with the five-times winners set to make their 23rd appearance in next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Ecuador qualified for their second straight World Cup by avoiding defeat in Peru. The visitors were penned in their own half for the final 20 minutes after midfielder Alan Franco was shown a second yellow card.
The draw all but ended Peru's hopes of qualifying, leaving them with 12 points, six behind Venezuela.
Earlier on Tuesday, Uruguay took a step closer to securing a spot with a 2-0 home victory over Venezuela at the Estadio Centenario, a victory which also snapped a four-match winless run in South American qualifiers.
Uruguay dominated much of the first half but struggled to break down a well-organised Venezuelan defence until Rodrigo Aguirre put the hosts ahead in the 42nd minute, heading in at the far post from a Maxi Araujo corner.
Giorgian De Arrascaeta doubled Uruguay's lead just two minutes into the second half, firing a superb shot into the top-left corner to seal a win that secures Marcelo Bielsa's side of at least an inter-confederation playoff berth.
Uruguay need only one point from their final two matches against Peru and Chile to make sure of a place at the finals.
Argentina needed an 81st-minute equaliser from Thiago Almada to cancel out Luis Diaz's goal and secure a draw with Colombia, avoiding a second straight defeat to Nestor Lorenzo's side.
Chile's hopes of reaching the finals ended with a 2-0 loss in Bolivia. Chile coach Ricardo Gareca resigned after the match.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
11 hours ago
- The National
Fifa Club World Cup Group F guide: Dortmund have momentum under Kovac, Sundowns shining after latest title
Fluminense (Brazil) How they qualified: 2023 Copa Libertadores winners. Manager: Renato Gaucho. Back in charge of Fluminense for a remarkable seventh time after being reappointed in April. The Brazilian, 63, also spent three years at Fluminense as a player. Led Fluminense to the Brazilian Cup in 2007 as well as reaching the 2008 Copa Libertadores final, where they lost to Ecuadorean LDU Quito on penalties. Star player: Jhon Arias. Versatile Colombian midfielder was a key player in Fluminense's 2023 Copa Libertadores victory – providing an assist in the final win over Boca Juniors – and is adored by Fluminense fans. The 27-year-old has 46 goals and 54 assists in 223 games for the Rio club. One to watch: Thiago Silva. Closing in on 41 years of age, the Rio-born club captain is still going strong in the centre of defence after a stellar career that has seen him lift trophies in Brazil, Italy, France and England, as well as the Copa America with the Selecao. Only four Brazil players have won more than his 113 caps. Domestic season record: Currently fifth in the Brazilian Serie A, four points behind leaders Flamengo. Fixtures: June 17 (8pm kick-off UAE): Borussia Dortmund at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. June 22 (2am KO): Ulsan HD at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. June 25 (11pm KO): Mamelodi Sundowns at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami. Ulsan HD (South Korea) How they qualified: Best team in the AFC four-year rankings. Manager: Kim Pan-gon. South Korean former Hong Kong and Malaysia national team coach arrived at Ulsan in 2024, leading the team to a third K League 1 title in a row. Star player: Jo Hyeon-woo. Won the K League MVP award last season, becoming only the second goalkeeper in the league's 41-year history to win it following Ulsan's title triumph. Jo, 33, played every one of the club's 38 matches, recording 14 clean sheets, and is now a triple title winner. Has also won 42 caps for South Korea. One to watch: Erick Farias. Brazilian was signed in March to strengthen Ulsan's attack ahead of the Club World Cup and has made a flying start, scoring nine goals in 14 K League matches. The 28-year-old made his professional debut in Denmark but has spent a vast majority of his career at various levels of Brazilian football. Domestic season record: Currently third in the K League 1, six points behind leaders Jeonbuk, having played two games more. Fixtures: June 17 (8pm kick-off UAE): Mamelodi Sundowns at Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando. June 22 (2am KO): Fluminense at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. June 25 (11pm KO): Borussia Dortmund at TQL Stadium, Cincinnati. Borussia Dortmund (Germany) How they qualified: Third-best team in the Uefa coefficient rankings Manager: Niko Kovac. Croatian took over in January with Dortmund 11th in the table but guided them to a fourth-place finish and into next season's Uefa Champions League. Dortmund's managing director Lars Ricken described Kovac's achievement as being "among the greatest managerial performances in BVB history.' Star player: Serhou Guirassy. Guinea striker finished the season as second-top Bundesliga scorer behind Harry Kane with 21 goals in 30 games. Also scored a brilliant hat-trick in Dortmund's Champions League victory over Barcelona. Finished his first season at BVB with 34 goals across all competitions. One to watch: Karim Adeyemi. German forward became only the third Dortmund player to score a Champions League hat-trick, against Celtic in October, only to then pick up a torn thigh muscle which ruled him out for more than two months. Came back strong, though, finishing the season with 23 goals and nine assists in 36 games. Domestic season record: Finished fourth in the Bundesliga, 25 points behind champions Bayern Munich. Fixtures: June 17 (8pm kick-off UAE): Fluminense at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. June 21 (8pm KO): Mamelodi Sundowns at TQL Stadium, Cincinnati. June 25 (11pm KO): Ulsan HD at TQL Stadium, Cincinnati. Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) How they qualified: Second-best team in the CAF four-year rankings. Manager: Miguel Cardoso. Portuguese coach has just guided the Sundowns to their eighth successive title in his first season in charge. The South Africans fell agonisingly short in the CAF Champions League final, losing to Egyptian side Pyramids 3-2 over two legs. Star player: Lucas Ribeiro. Brazilian striker, 26, finished title-winning campaign as division's top scorer with 16 goals and nine assists in 26 games, including a double in Sundowns' final match against Magesi FC, and will head to the US in top form. One to watch: Iqraam Rayners. Ribeiro's attacking teammate enjoyed an equally impressive Premiership season, scoring 14 goals including five in his final six games. The duo both reached the 20-goal barrier across all competitions.
The National
18 hours ago
- The National
Fifa Club World Cup Group E guide: Inter reeling, wunderkind Mastantuono looks to make mark
River Plate (Argentina) How they qualified: Best team in the Conmebol four-year ranking. Manager: Marcelo Gallardo. Club legend who returned for his second spell as coach in 2024, having previously been in charge from 2014 to 2022. Such is his standing at River Plate, there is a bronze statue of Gallardo outside the club's Estadio Monumental of him holding aloft the Copa Libertadores trophy, which he won once as a player there and twice as a manager. Star player: Franco Mastantuono. Latest wunderkind off the River Plate production line, the 17-year-old winger is one of the most in-demand players in world football. Looks set to join Real Madrid after the tournament. Has seven goals and four assists in 19 games this season. One to watch: Miguel Borja. The experienced Colombian striker has struggled at times this season but retains the faith of Gallardo. The 32-year-old will be hoping to regain the form of last season when he scored 31 goals across competitions. Domestic season record: Currently second in the Argentine Primera Division Group B, four points behind leaders Rosario Central. Fixtures: June 17 (11pm kick-off UAE): Urawa Red Diamonds at Lumen Field, Seattle. June 22 (5am KO): Monterray at Rose Bowl, Passedena. June 26 (5am KO): Inter Milan at Lumen Field, Seattle. Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) How they qualified: 2022 AFC Champions League winners. Manager: Maciej Skorza. Polish coach led Urawa to their third AFC Champions League crown after beating Saudi side and title holders Al Hilal 2-1 over two legs, but left the club in December 2023 only to be reappointed eight months later. Star player: Matheus Savio. Former Brazil Under-20 international started his career in his home country with Flamengo before joining Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol in 2020. Switched to Urawa in 2024 and will be a key cog in their attack in the US, operating mainly on the left flank. One to watch: Ryoma Watanabe. Japanese attacking midfielder is Urawa's top scorer so far this season with six goals in 17 J1 League games. The 28-year-old joined from Tokyo FC in January 2024. Domestic season record: Currently third in the J1 League, six points behind leaders Kashima Antlers, having played two games more. Fixtures: June 17 (11pm kick-off UAE): River Plate at Lumen Field, Seattle. June 21 (11pm KO): Inter Milan at Lumen Field, Seattle. June 26 (5am KO): Monterray at Rose Bowl, Passedena. Monterrey (Mexico) How they qualified: 2021 Concacaf Champions League winners. Manager: Domenec Torrent. A former assistant coach to Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City. The Spaniard has since been the main man at New York City FC, Flamengo and Galatasaray, before moving to Mexican side Atletico San Luis. Only took over at Monterrey on May 21. Star player: Sergio Canales. Attacking Spanish midfielder has previously played for Real Madrid, Valencia, Real Sociedad and Real Betis. Joined Monterrey in 2023 where he has scored 31 goals and provided 16 assists in 80 games. Was involved in a training ground incident with former coach Martin Demichelis in April that left Canales with leg injuries after he kicked a glass door. One to watch: Lucas Ocampos. Versatile Argentine forward who started his career at River Plate before moving to Europe, playing for the likes of Monaco, Marseille and Sevilla - where he won two Europa League titles - before moving to Mexico in a €7 million deal in 2024. Missed the start of the current season due to injury but has provided four assists in 10 Liga MX matches since returning to action. Domestic season record: Currently seventh in Liga MX, nine points behind leaders Toluca. Fixtures: June 18 (5am kick-off UAE): Inter Milan at Rose Bowl, Passedena. June 22 (5am KO): River Plate at Rose Bowl, Passedena. June 26 (5am KO): Urawa Red Diamonds at Rose Bowl, Passedena. Inter Milan (Italy) How they qualified: Fourth-best team in the Uefa four-year coefficient rankings. Manager: Cristian Chivu. Romanian has been rushed into the role ahead of the tournament after Simone Inzaghi left the club following their Uefa Champions League final drubbing by PSG. Chivu, a former Inter defender and youth-team coach, helped Parma avoid relegation from Serie A this season in his first managerial role, which he left after just four months to rejoin Inter. Star player: Lautaro Martinez. Prolific Argentine striker scored 22 goals across competitions last season as Inter finished runners-up in Serie A and the Champions League. Has 151 goals in 331 games for Inter, helping the Nerazzurri win two Serie A titles, two Italian Cups and three Italian Supercups. Helped his country win the 2022 World Cup and two Copa Americas, scoring 32 goals in 70 appearances. One to watch: Marcus Thuram. France forward was Inter's top scorer in Serie A last season with 14 goals, while his total of seven assists was only bettered by Federico Dimarco. Inter will be hoping he is fighting fit in the US after suffering from thigh injuries in the second half of the campaign. Fixtures: June 18 (5am kick-off UAE): Monterrey at Rose Bowl, Passedena. June 21 (11pm KO): Urawa Red Diamonds at Lumen Field, Seattle. June 26 (5am KO): Inter Milan at Lumen Field, Seattle.
Dubai Eye
a day ago
- Dubai Eye
Brazil, Ecuador qualify for 2026 World Cup finals
Brazil and Ecuador secured their spots at the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, taking the second and third of South America's six automatic qualifying berths after champions Argentina booked their ticket in March. Brazil beat Paraguay 1-0 while Ecuador drew 0-0 with Peru as both teams climbed to 25 points with two matches to play, beyond the reach of Venezuela in seventh place. Uruguay (24 points), Paraguay (24) and Colombia (22) occupy the remaining three automatic qualification positions ahead of the final two fixtures in September. Venezuela (18) would earn a playoff spot against a team from another confederation by finishing seventh. In Sao Paulo, a goal from Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Jr. on the stroke of halftime made it a winning home debut for Brazil's new coach Carlo Ancelotti. "I'm very happy with today's result. We needed to win at home for our fans too and qualify for the World Cup, which was our goal," Vinicius said. "Now (Ancelotti) will have more time to work, to see what he can improve. Today wasn't one of our best games, but the important thing in qualifying is to win and prepare well for the World Cup." Brazil extended their record as the only team to play in every edition of the World Cup, with the five-times winners set to make their 23rd appearance in next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Ecuador qualified for their second straight World Cup by avoiding defeat in Peru. The visitors were penned in their own half for the final 20 minutes after midfielder Alan Franco was shown a second yellow card. The draw all but ended Peru's hopes of qualifying, leaving them with 12 points, six behind Venezuela. Earlier on Tuesday, Uruguay took a step closer to securing a spot with a 2-0 home victory over Venezuela at the Estadio Centenario, a victory which also snapped a four-match winless run in South American qualifiers. Uruguay dominated much of the first half but struggled to break down a well-organised Venezuelan defence until Rodrigo Aguirre put the hosts ahead in the 42nd minute, heading in at the far post from a Maxi Araujo corner. Giorgian De Arrascaeta doubled Uruguay's lead just two minutes into the second half, firing a superb shot into the top-left corner to seal a win that secures Marcelo Bielsa's side of at least an inter-confederation playoff berth. Uruguay need only one point from their final two matches against Peru and Chile to make sure of a place at the finals. Argentina needed an 81st-minute equaliser from Thiago Almada to cancel out Luis Diaz's goal and secure a draw with Colombia, avoiding a second straight defeat to Nestor Lorenzo's side. Chile's hopes of reaching the finals ended with a 2-0 loss in Bolivia. Chile coach Ricardo Gareca resigned after the match.
