Argentina maintains its lead in the 10-team South American qualifying group with 12 points from five matches, while Uruguay holds second place with 10 points.
Despite Lionel Messi’s efforts, Argentina faced its first defeat since winning the FIFA World Cup 2022, losing 2-0 to Uruguay at La Bombonera Stadium in Buenos Aires. This loss marks Argentina’s first competitive defeat since the World Cup group-stage opener against Saudi Arabia in Qatar last year.
Brazil’s struggles in the qualifying campaign continued with a 2-1 loss to Colombia, marking their second consecutive defeat in the round-robin competition. Luiz Diaz’s header goals led Colombia to an impressive turnaround at the Metropolitano Stadium in Barranquilla.
As of now, Argentina leads the South American qualifying group with 12 points, followed by Uruguay with 10 points, Colombia with nine, and Venezuela with eight. Brazil, in fifth position with seven points, will host the World Cup champions at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Ecuador, Paraguay, and Chile each have five points, while Bolivia has three and Peru one. The 2026 World Cup, featuring 48 teams, will grant direct entry to the top six South American teams, with the seventh-place team having a chance to earn a spot through an intercontinental playoff.
Uruguay displayed aggression from the start against Argentina, with Ronald Araújo scoring in the 42nd minute after Matias Viña’s assist. Despite Messi’s efforts, Argentina couldn’t equalize, and Darwin Núñez sealed the victory for Uruguay with a goal in the 87th minute.
In the Brazil vs. Colombia match, Gabriel Martinelli scored early for Brazil, but Luiz Diaz’s two headers secured the win for Colombia. Neymar and Casemiro’s absence due to injuries impacted Brazil’s performance, and coach Fernando Diniz expressed disappointment with the outcome.
