Brazil finally got the result they needed – and their new coach, Carlo Ancelotti, got his very first win! The Selecao (that’s Brazil’s national team nickname) beat Paraguay 1-0 in São Paulo to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It wasn’t a high-scoring game, but it was enough to get the job done.
Ancelotti, one of the most respected managers in soccer history, had just taken over as Brazil’s coach. Before coaching Brazil, he led famous clubs like Real Madrid, AC Milan, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich. He’s also one of the only coaches to win the UEFA Champions League four times! So, when he joined Brazil, fans had high hopes.
But his first match in charge didn’t go well. Brazil played Ecuador and the match ended in a 0-0 draw. It was a bit boring, and the team didn’t create many chances. So heading into the match against Paraguay, fans were hoping to see improvement.
First Half – Slow Start, But A Big Goal
In the first 30 minutes of the game, Brazil didn’t look much better than they did against Ecuador. Ancelotti had made three changes to the starting lineup, bringing back winger Raphinha, but the team still looked shaky in attack.
Brazil’s best early chance came when Matheus Cunha set up Vinícius Júnior with a great pass, but Vini Jr. couldn’t finish it. At the other end, Paraguay nearly surprised the home fans when Juan Cáceres attempted a flashy scissor-kick that deflected just wide of the goal defended by Alisson.
Did you know? Vinícius Júnior plays for Real Madrid and is known for his incredible speed and dribbling skills. He scored the winning goal in the 2022 Champions League Final!
Despite having almost 75% of the ball, Brazil couldn’t find a breakthrough for most of the half. But just before halftime, they finally made the pressure count. Raphinha used his skill to drag three defenders out of position. The ball fell to Cunha, who calmly passed it to Vinícius Júnior. This time, he didn’t miss – he smashed the ball into the net! Brazil went into the break leading 1-0.
Second Half – Not Much Change, But Enough to Win
Even after the break, Brazil kept the pressure on Paraguay. They controlled the ball and attacked often, but chances were still hard to come by. Bruno Guimarães came close with a clever lob, but Paraguay’s goalkeeper, Gatito Fernández, punched it away.
As time went on, Paraguay began to grow in confidence. Coach Gustavo Alfaro’s team started passing better and even looked dangerous at times. One of their best moments came from a long throw-in that Brazil couldn’t clear properly. The ball bounced to Júnior Alonso, whose header just missed the goal.
Still, Brazil had the better chances overall. Raphinha and Guimarães both had shots saved by Fernández late in the match. In the end, Vinícius Júnior’s first-half goal was all Brazil needed.
Head-to-Head (H2H) Stats
Brazil and Paraguay have a long history of matches. With this win, Brazil has now beaten Paraguay at home six times in a row. In their last 10 meetings overall, Brazil has won 5, Paraguay has won just 1, and the other 4 ended in draws.
In those 10 matches:
Over 2.5 Goals (more than 2 goals in a match) occurred in 4 of the games.
BTTS (Both Teams To Score) only happened in 2 of those games, showing Brazil often shuts Paraguay out.
So while this match only ended 1-0, it followed a pattern of Brazil winning without conceding a goal.
World Cup Qualification – What It Means
This win means Brazil have officially booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. This will be Brazil’s 23rd consecutive World Cup appearance – they are the only team in the world to qualify for every tournament since the first one in 1930!
However, things haven’t been easy in this qualifying campaign. This was only their second win in their last six matches. That’s not typical for Brazil, a country that has won the World Cup five times, more than any other nation.
For Paraguay, this was their first loss in 10 World Cup qualifying games. That’s still a solid record. They now need just one more point from their last two matches to qualify for their first World Cup since 2010.
Fun Soccer Facts!
BTTS (Both Teams to Score): This is a popular stat for betting and predictions. It didn’t happen in this game because Paraguay didn’t score. In fact, BTTS has not occurred in Brazil’s last 5 matches against Paraguay.
Over 2.5 Goals: Many fans enjoy high-scoring games. Over 2.5 goals means at least 3 total goals scored. This game didn’t hit that mark (it was just 1-0), but 4 of the last 10 Brazil vs Paraguay matches have had over 2.5 goals.
Possession: Brazil had almost 75% possession, which means they had the ball three times more than Paraguay. That kind of dominance shows how well they controlled the game, even if they didn’t score a lot.
Carlo Ancelotti: With this win, Ancelotti becomes the first European manager to win a World Cup qualifier as Brazil coach. It’s a good start, and fans will hope it’s the beginning of a successful era.
This match might not have been Brazil’s flashiest performance, but it got the job done. Vinícius Júnior’s goal and a strong defensive effort gave Carlo Ancelotti his first win as Brazil coach and sent the team to the 2026 World Cup. Paraguay still has a chance to qualify too, needing just a single point from their last two games. With the World Cup getting closer, both teams will be working hard to be ready for the biggest soccer stage on Earth.
