Players of Bolivia celebrate after winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match against Chile
Rodrigo ARANGUA

In the latest round of South American World Cup 2026 qualifiers, two of the continent's football powerhouses, Brazil and Argentina, faced unexpected defeats in the absence of their star players. Lionel Messi missed Argentina's 2-1 loss to Colombia, while Neymar was absent as Brazil fell to Paraguay.

For the Seleção, the 1-0 defeat to Paraguay was particularly troubling, marking their fourth loss in the last five qualifiers. This result leaves Brazil in fifth place in the standings, with the top six teams automatically securing spots in the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Paraguay's players celebrate victory over Brazil. - Jorge Saenz/AP

Since being eliminated by Uruguay in the Copa América quarterfinals earlier this year, Brazil's slump under coach Dorival Júnior has continued into the World Cup qualifiers, although a 1-0 win against Ecuador on Friday provided some relief.

"The coach is still figuring out the best way for us to play, and that's reflected in the results," defender Marquinhos told TV Globo, according to Reuters. "There are a lot of new players, and we are lacking confidence."

Meanwhile, Argentina faced Colombia in a sort of rematch of the recent Copa América final. This loss marks Argentina's third defeat since 2022, following losses to Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. In recent years, the Albiceleste have won more titles (four) than they have lost matches (three).

James Rodríguez played a pivotal role in Colombia's victory over the reigning World Cup and Copa América champions, delivering the cross for Yerson Mosquera's close-range header and converting a second-half penalty. Nicolás González had equalized for Argentina early in the second half, but a foul by Nicolás Otamendi, reviewed by VAR, allowed Rodríguez to score the penalty and restore Colombia's lead.

Argentina remains without Lionel Messi, who sustained an ankle injury in the Copa América final in July. However, manager Lionel Scaloni has expressed hope that the star forward will return for the next round of qualifiers in October.

Another historic moment, Bolivia achieved a 2-1 victory over Chile, securing their first away win in 31 years since a 1-7 triumph over Venezuela in the 1994 World Cup qualifiers. With goals from Algarañaz and Miguel, Bolivia climbed to seventh place with 9 points, in the playoff zone, while Chile remains second to last with 5 points.

In the other CONMEBOL qualifiers on Tuesday, Ecuador beat Peru 1-0, and Venezuela drew 0-0 with Uruguay.