Vinícius books Brazil's place at World Cup as Ancelotti plays with four forwards
Brazil and Ecuador have secured spots at the 2026 World Cup, taking the second and third of South America's six automatic qualifying berths after the champions, Argentina, booked their ticket in March.
Brazil beat Paraguay 1-0 while Ecuador drew 0-0 in 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 before the final two fixtures in September. Venezuela (18) would earn a playoff spot against a team from another confederation by finishing seventh.
In São Paulo, a goal from the Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior on the stroke of half-time made it a winning home debut for Brazil's coach, Carlo Ancelotti. 'It is for you,' Vinícius told Ancelotti, his former Madrid manager, as he celebrated.
'I'm very happy with today's result,' Vinícius said. 'We needed to win at home for our fans too and qualify for the World Cup, which was our goal. 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.'
Vinícius, Gabriel Martinelli, Raphinha and Matheus Cunha started. Ancelotti said the team had been balanced despite having four forwards and that Cunha's role, as a playmaker, was the one that could be Neymar's if the veteran fully recovers fitness.
'It's no problem to play with three or four up front,' Ancelotti said. 'We need 10 players to run, to sacrifice. Rodrygo did this many times, I know him well. And Neymar will also do it.'
After the final whistle, a clip of Ancelotti's first days in the job was shown on big screens around the stadium. A raucous celebration erupted, as if the Italian had brought new life to a team that only three months ago appeared lost and doomed. Ancelotti's debut last week brought a goalless draw against Peru.
Brazil extended their record as the only team to play at every World Cup, with the five-times winners in line to make their 23rd appearance in next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Sign up to Football Daily
Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football
after newsletter promotion
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 the midfielder Alan Franco was shown a second yellow card. The draw all but ended Peru's hopes of qualifying.
Uruguay moved a step closer to securing a spot with a 2-0 home victory over Venezuela, ending a four-match winless run in qualifiers. Uruguay dominated much of the first half but struggled to break down a well-organised defence until Rodrigo Aguirre put them ahead in the 42nd minute, heading in from a corner. Giorgian De Arrascaeta doubled Uruguay's lead two minutes into the second half with a superb shot into the top-left corner. Marcelo Bielsa's need one point from their 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 Díaz's goal and secure a draw with Colombia. Chile's hopes of reaching the finals ended with a 2-0 loss in Bolivia. Chile's 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
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Watch: Trent Alexander-Arnold wows at Real Madrid unveiling by speaking fluent Spanish
The era of Alexander-Arnold the Liverpool legend is officially over and that of Trent the Galactico has begun at Real Madrid. The presentation of the right-back's No 12 'Trent' jersey at his formal Bernabeu unveiling completed the journey from the Anfield academy to the heights of those footballers considered so famous that they are referenced by Christian name, the request symbolic of a new brand and a fresh start. 'It is quite an easy explanation,' said the 26-year-old. 'I have always found when I travel to Europe the name confuses a lot of people with it being three names, double-barrelled. People call me Arnold, Alexander, Alex and Trent. I just thought let's make it simple with Trent on my back. That's my name so that's what I guess people will call me.' That said, those watching the England player's opening address could have been forgiven for thinking adopting the title Don Juan might have been as appropriate. If Alexander-Arnold's transfer was considered the consequence of a prolonged Bernabeu seduction, this time the charm offensive was from the £10 million recruit as the ex-Kop idol introduced himself in fluent, pitch perfect Spanish. 🗣️🇪🇸 Señor Alexander-Arnold #WelcomeTrent — Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) June 12, 2025 'Thank you for this opportunity. It does not happen every day. It is a dream come true and I am happy and proud to be here. I want to show Real Madrid fans how I play. I am going to give my all for the team,' Alexander-Arnold said in the native tongue of the Madridistas. 'Wow. Impressive. He has clearly had this on his mind for a couple of years,' swooned the translators from Real Madrid TV. 'A few months,' Alexander-Arnold later clarified, no doubt aware that cynics will presume this was an inauguration speech long in its preparation. Given he is such a quick learner, those advertising foreign language crash courses have found a new poster boy. Tougher assignments await the England man in La Liga, but as first impressions go this could not have been better choreographed, even if those left behind at Anfield tuning in may have been watching from behind the sofa, struggling to readjust to such an unfamiliar sight. Alexander-Arnold proved adept at identifying potential hand grenades within questions, careful to be respectful of all that he has left behind while deferential to the status and history of the club he has joined. Asked to compare Real Madrid and Liverpool, he suggested the biggest difference might be the weather. 'I'm fortunate to have played for the biggest club in England and now I am at the biggest club in Spain. There are a lot of similarities,' he said. 'You are expected to win. You are expected to perform week in and week out. That does not change. We are expected to win trophies. That is a demand. We have to deliver. 'It was never a question of where [to go], it was whether or not to go. I have known for a long time that if I did leave Liverpool it would only be for Real Madrid. It was not an easy decision because of how long I have been there for, but eventually you have to make a decision and in my mind it was the right one.' When Alexander-Arnold was encouraged to say he had dreamed of being a Real player even when training on the pitch as a Liverpool teenager in the Champions League, he politely declined the invitation. 'At that time, 10 or so years ago, I was not thinking about being here today,' he said, while the references to his Kop sending-off rightly focused on the day of the trophy presentation and the well-wishers of the club's hierarchy, as well as players, staff and the majority of supporters. Ironically, the formalities began like a tribute to Liverpool as an assortment of clips showcased Alexander-Arnold's many spectacular assists and goals under Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot. Whatever Real paid to sign the right-back a month early, Liverpool might have grounds to charge more in syndication rights given how many of the commentaries were courtesy of the Premier League's champions own media channel. The Anfield connection continued with references to Real's new manager, Xabi Alonso, being one of Alexander-Arnold's boyhood idols. 'He inspired me because of the way he passed the ball. I told him that,' said the defender of the former Liverpool midfielder. Another topic he seemed enthusiastic to address was the notion that England team-mate Jude Bellingham has acted as a super-agent on Real's behalf, the friendship between the pair vastly over-exaggerated as influential in the move. 'A lot of people think he played a large part in me coming here, but the club speaks for itself,' Alexander-Arnold said. 'We spoke a lot about Liverpool and Madrid as players and friends. You want to know what it's like, of course.' Of all the questions, one stood out as the wolf in sheep's clothing, a seemingly innocuous request to sum up the qualities of Real's local hero Dani Carvajal, whose position Alexander-Arnold wants to make his own. 'He is a fantastic player and I have nothing but respect,' he said, aware there is no bigger legend than the home-grown hero. Alexander-Arnold was that once. Now 'Trent' has accepted the challenge of matching the standards of one of the VIP guests listening to his every word, Roberto Carlos, alongside the current crop of superstars. 'I'm very lucky and proud to be here,' Alexander-Arnold said. 'These are the kinds of players I want to play with. I have admired them. I have played against them, so I know how good they are. To be a part of the team and to be playing with them, rather than against them, will be good.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
'Creativity, movement and sharp finishing' - what will Cunha bring?
New Manchester United signing Matheus Cunha has 27 goals in 65 Premier League appearances over the past two seasons and is regarded at Old Trafford as someone who can make an instant impact, while at the same time adding experience to the team."United are lucky they still have their historic appeal and reputation as a club, so players of the Brazilian's quality and potential want to move there," former England midfielder Fara Williams told BBC Sport."If he does, there is no doubt he improves the squad." Creativity, movement and sharp finishing - Cunha's flair and drive have often made the difference in tight has been the heartbeat of Wolves' attacking threat, scoring crucial goals, linking up play and unpicking defences with moments of individual addition, in 2024-25 he equalled the record for the most goals scored by a Brazilian player in a Premier League season, alongside Roberto Firmino (2017-18) and Gabriel Martinelli (2022-23)."Cunha has everything a United team would want," added Williams."You cannot question the qualities he possesses and the attitude he has in-game in terms of wanting to do anything to win."Cunha first played as a number nine at Wolves but those who have watched him regularly over the past couple of years say his best position is as a left-sided number natural inclination is to come deep and get the ball, and his strengths include running at defenders and 2024-25 numbers match up to those of United captain Bruno scored six times from outside the box - the same number as Fernandes managed. Cunha also registered 51 attempts on target - again, the same number as Fernandes.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Trent explains how long he's been learning Spanish after Real Madrid unveiling
Real Madrid have officially unveiled Trent Alexander-Arnold as their new signing and the former Liverpool star impressed the locals by giving his entire speech in Spanish - revealing he had been learning the language for months New Real Madrid star Trent Alexander-Arnold has revealed he has been learning to speak Spanish for the last few months after finally being unveiled by the La Liga club on Thursday. The England star decided to leave boyhood club Liverpool at the end of the 2024-25 season, ending his 20-year association at Anfield to take up a new challenge with Madrid. Alexander-Arnold has received a backlash from Liverpool fans, who have accused him of lacking loyalty to the club that gave him his first break as he looked set to leave on a free transfer - before the club managed to secure a £10million fee for his services. He spoke about his move for the first time this week as he appeared on stage in front of an audience to state his reasons for joining and gave the entirety of his address in Spanish, impressing the locals. When he was asked about how long he had been learning the language later on, Alexander-Arnold replied: "A few months." That stretches back to around March, when speculation was rife that he would join the La Liga team. His full speech in Spanish translated as saying: "Good afternoon. Thank you Florentino Perez and the club for this opportunity. This doesn't happen everyday, it's a dream come true. "I'm very happy and proud to be here. I want to show Real Madrid fans how I play, I do realise I'm signing for Real Madrid. The demands are high, but I'm going to give my all for the team and Real Madrid fans. I want to show those fans how I play. I want to win many titles, I want to be a winner here and enjoy playing alongside the best players in the world. Hala Madrid!" In a press conference, Alexander-Arnold - who will wear the No 12 in the Spanish capital - said leaving Liverpool was "emotional" and said he didn't have a bad word to say about the club after receiving an "outstanding" send-off. "Touching on the contrast of emotions, of course, two different ends of the scale. Being at Liverpool for so long, experiencing everything I did and what I had was incredible. Knowing that it was coming to an end, it was always going to be emotional for me, but I felt like I went out in a way that I'm happy about to be honest. "The send-off that I got, the way the club treated me, the way the fans were as well was outstanding, I couldn't say a bad word. "Also speaking to the players, the manager, the owners, they were all incredible as well, showed a lot of support. It was a huge help, we had an amazing conversation in the last couple of days with the owners. "They were very warm and welcoming, thanked me for everything I gave and service to the club, wished me well on my future journey and what I wanted to do. Said I'd always be welcome back at the club at any point, so to have those words spoken from the club is amazing and like I said, sent off in the perfect way. "Now, to be here, facing a new challenge, facing something new, a new journey for me, is equally as exciting." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
