In a stunning turn of events, Brazil’s national football team suffered a 1-0 defeat against Paraguay in the 8th round of the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The match, held at the Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asunción on September 10, saw Paraguay’s Diego Gómez score the decisive goal in the 19th minute with a beautiful shot from outside the box.This loss marks Brazil’s first defeat to Paraguay in 16 years, ending a long-standing dominance in their head-to-head encounters. The result has significant implications for Brazil’s World Cup qualification campaign, as they now find themselves in 5th place with 10 points, eight points behind leader Argentina.Despite controlling possession for much of the game, Brazil struggled to create meaningful scoring opportunities. Their best chance came when Vinícius Júnior set up Guilherme Arana, whose shot was cleared off the line by Paraguay’s Junior Alonso. Brazil’s coach, Dorival Júnior, made tactical changes in the second half, bringing on Luiz Henrique and João Pedro, but these substitutions failed to turn the tide.Paraguay’s victory, orchestrated by new coach Gustavo Alfaro, was characterized by solid defensive play and effective counterattacking. Alfaro, who made his debut with a draw against Uruguay, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, ‘We’ve recovered our identity as Paraguay’.This defeat raises concerns about Brazil’s form and their prospects for qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. With four losses in eight matches, the five-time world champions face an uphill battle in securing their spot in the tournament. Brazil’s next challenge will be an away match against Chile on October 10, while Paraguay, now in 7th place with 9 points, will face Ecuador.
Key points
- Brazil lost 1-0 to Paraguay in the World Cup Qualifiers, their first defeat to Paraguay in 16 years.
- The loss drops Brazil to 5th place in the standings, eight points behind leader Argentina.
- Paraguay’s Diego Gómez scored the only goal in the 19th minute.
- Brazil dominated possession but struggled to create scoring opportunities.
- The defeat raises concerns about Brazil’s qualification prospects for the 2026 World Cup.
Contradictions👾There are slight discrepancies in the reported standings.
Some sources place Paraguay in 7th place with 9 points, while others suggest they are in 3rd place with 12 points.
This contradiction may be due to different reporting times or errors in the sources.
