Argentina humbles Brazil with four goals in World Cup qualifiers

Argentina crushed their traditional rivals Brazil 4-1 in a strong encounter that took place at dawn on Wednesday at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the fourteenth round of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The match witnessed the absence of Lionel Messi, the star of the Tango team, due to his exclusion from the team’s roster due to injury. On the other hand, Brazilian star Neymar was absent for the same reason during the current international break. The Argentine team succeeded in ending the first half of the match with a 3-1 lead, with the first goal coming early through Julian Alvarez in the fourth minute, and Enzo Fernandez added the second in the 12th minute. Matheus Cunha reduced the difference for Brazil in the 26th minute, and Alexis Mac Allister added the third for the home team in the 37th minute. In the second half, Juliano Simeone completed the Argentine team’s four goals in the 71st minute, to secure the match with a score of 4-1.  Argentina officially secured its place in the 2026 World Cup after consolidating its lead in the South American qualifying standings with 31 points. Their qualification for the World Cup was sealed before the match after Uruguay's goalless draw with Bolivia, while Brazil dropped to fourth place with 21 points.