The Selecao of Brazil have officially secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup scheduled to hold in US, Mexico and Canada following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay on Tuesday night, a result that also marked Carlo Ancelotti’s first win as head coach.
After a goalless debut under Ancelotti against Ecuador last week, Brazil bounced back with a crucial win thanks to a second-half goal from Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior.
“I’m very happy with today’s result,” said Vinícius. “We needed to win at home for our fans and qualify for the World Cup — that was our goal. Now [Ancelotti] will have more time to work and improve things. It wasn’t our best game, but qualifying is about winning and preparing well.”
The victory lifts Brazil to 25 points with two matches remaining in South America’s grueling 18-game qualification campaign. That tally ensures the five-time champions claim one of CONMEBOL’s six automatic spots.
With this result, Brazil maintain their unmatched record as the only national team to have qualified for every FIFA World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1930.
Argentina and Ecuador are the only other CONMEBOL sides to have sealed qualification so far for the 2026 tournament, set to be staged across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The 2026 World Cup is expected to hold in June next year and it will be the first time three countries would be hosting the FIFA tournament.
