On Thursday, Venezuela and Brazil battled to a 1-1 draw in a qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Argentina rose to the top of the CONMEBOL standings after beating Paraguay 1-0 to keep their perfect record intact.
Gabriel Magalhaes, a defender for Brazil, scored his first goal for his country in the 50th minute, breaking the scoreless tie at Cuiaba after a scoreless first half. He scored his goal after meeting Neymar’s corner kick with a bullet header at the near post.
There were opportunities for Brazil to expand their lead, and in the 71st minute, Vinicius Jr. had a goal disallowed because he was playing offside.
And the home team paid the price for their carelessness as Jefferson Savarino’s cross was turned into a goal in the 85th minute by Bello, who soared into the air and fired the ball home.
After the tie, Brazil dropped to second place in the standings, behind Argentina’s triumph in Buenos Aires, which the hosts gained by squeaking by with a one-goal margin courtesy to an early stunner scored by Nicolas Otamendi. Brazil’s next match will be against Uruguay in Montevideo.
The 35-year-old centre defender had scored just four goals in over 100 previous games for Argentina. However, he displayed incredible technique to put the reigning World Cup champions ahead after just three minutes with a spectacular volley from a corner kick.
Lionel Messi, who was included in the team despite being sidelined in recent weeks by a muscular ailment, came on in the 53rd minute and came near to adding to Argentina’s tally, rattling the post with a free-kick in extra time. He came on in the 53rd minute and came close to adding to Argentina’s tally, rattling the crossbar with a free-kick in added time.
On October 17, Argentina will play their next match against Peru in Lima.
In the first match of the day, Uruguay and Colombia battled it out in Barranquilla, and the game ended in a 2-2 draw thanks to a late penalty kick from Darwin Nunez.
The Uruguayan team, coached by Marcelo Bielsa, fell behind after James Rodriguez scored off a cross from Rafael Santos Borre in the 35th minute, but they were able to draw even shortly after the break thanks to Mathias Olivera.
Five minutes later, Colombia regained the lead on the strength of a shot by Mateus Uribe, which was set up by another Borre cross.
Camilo Vargas, the custodian for the home team, was sent off in the 87th minute after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Maximiliano Araujo that resulted in a penalty kick being conceded, which prevented the home team from claiming victory.
The custodian position was taken over by Alvaro Montero, who replaced Vargas, but Montero was unable to stop Nunez’s penalty kick.
After their victory over Peru, Chile are now in fifth place in the standings. Colombia and Uruguay are currently in third and fourth place, respectively.