Carlo Ancelotti has secured Brazil’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in his first match in charge of the national team.
The Selecao edged Paraguay 1-0 on Tuesday night in São Paulo, with Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior scoring the decisive goal in the second half.
The victory follows a goalless draw against Ecuador last Thursday and marks Ancelotti’s first win as Brazil manager. The result takes Brazil to 25 points in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, ensuring their place in the World Cup with just two rounds of matches left.
This confirms Brazil’s status as one of the six South American teams to earn automatic qualification. The five-time world champions have maintained their perfect record of qualifying for every edition of the tournament in history.
So far, defending champions Argentina and Ecuador are the only other CONMEBOL nations to have booked their tickets to the 2026 World Cup from the continent’s demanding 18-game qualification campaign.
