Brazil were humiliated 4-1 by bitter rivals Argentina in South American World Cup qualifiers as the pressure mounted on manager Dorival Júnior after his side were comprehensively outplayed and fortunate not to lose by more.
After edging Colombia 2-1 at home on Thursday, Brazil came crashing back to earth against the world champions, who started the rout with a close-range strike by Julián Alvarez four minutes after kick-off.
Alvarez took a through pass from Thiago Almada in his stride and evaded two defenders before beating the advancing goalkeeper Bento with a gentle touch to his right.
“We humbly did our job and played a great game. We gave them a show,” Alvarez said.
“It was a historic result, winning by 4-1, and that makes us really proud, I’m so happy for the fans, for helping the team and to see how we played an impressive game at home. It’s great to know that we are qualified for the World Cup.”
A 0-0 draw between Uruguay and Bolivia earlier on Tuesday had sealed Argentina’s spot at the 2026 World Cup as they became the first South American team to qualify for the tournament in North America.
Even without the injured Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martínez, Argentina were streets ahead of their rivals and they did not have to wait long to extend their lead.
Enzo Fernández made it 2-0 with a strike from inside the box in the 12th minute but Brazil pulled one back when a mistake by Argentina defender Cristian Romero gifted Matheus Cunha a goal in the 26th minute.
But Argentina restored their two-goal lead through Alexis Mac Allister in the 37th minute, firing home from a Fernández cross.
Argentina, who have not lost to Brazil in six years, wasted several chances to extend their lead before substitute Giuliano Simeone wrapped up the scoring in the 71st minute, handing Brazil their heaviest defeat in a World Cup qualifier.
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Brazil captain Marquinhos apologised to the fans and urged his teammates to turn things around as quickly as possible.
“What we did here today can’t happen again,” he told Brazilian TV Globo. “It’s hard to talk about it in the heat of the moment… It’s embarrassing. We started the game very badly, far below what we could do and they’re on a great run of confidence. They knew how to play smart … I’m sorry for our fans.”
Dorival Júnior has failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning just seven of his 16 games in charge since taking over in early 2024.
“It’s not just the coach’s fault… It’s the players’ fault too,” Marquinhos said. “There’s no secret formula in football where you make a choice and it works out. We can all do better. We have to share the blame. It’s about understanding the moment and being humble.”
Argentina top the South American standings with 31 points from 14 matches, 16 points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela, who currently hold the spot for the international playoffs following their 1-0 win over Peru. Brazil are fourth on 21 points.