A vibrant Buenos Aires erupted in celebration as Argentina, already assured of their 2026 World Cup berth, delivered a stunning 4-1 victory over their fierce rivals, Brazil, on Tuesday. The emphatic win, fueled by goals from Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Giuliano Simeone, turned the already festive Estadio Monumental into a scene of pure jubilation.
The party atmosphere, ignited by Bolivia’s earlier draw with Uruguay, which secured Argentina’s qualification, was further amplified by a dominant performance from the world champions.2 Alvarez set the tone early, netting a slick finish past Brazil’s goalkeeper Bento within the first six minutes, capitalizing on a perfectly weighted through ball from Thiago Almada. Just six minutes later, Fernandez doubled Argentina’s lead, exploiting Brazil’s shaky defense.
While a momentary lapse from Cristian Romero allowed Mattheus Cunha to pull one back for Brazil, cutting the deficit to 2-1, Argentina quickly extinguished any hopes of a comeback. Mac Allister’s spectacular volley, set up by another brilliant assist from Almada, restored their two-goal advantage before halftime. The crowning moment came in the 71st minute, when Simeone, son of Argentine legend Diego Simeone, unleashed an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net, marking his first international goal and sealing the 4-1 triumph.
This victory solidified Argentina’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with four matches to spare. They now lead the South American qualifying group with 31 points.3
Meanwhile, other South American qualifiers saw Ecuador maintain their qualification trajectory with a goalless draw against Chile. Uruguay moved into third place, while Colombia’s hopes of closing the gap were dashed by a 2-2 draw with Paraguay. Venezuela’s 1-0 win over Peru, courtesy of a Salomon Rondon penalty, significantly boosted their chances of a historic first-ever World Cup appearance.
