Carlo Ancelotti has finally earned his first victory as Brazil head coach after the Selecao edged Paraguay 1-0 in Sao Paulo to officially qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Vinicius Junior scored the decisive goal just before halftime in a game where Brazil dominated possession but once again struggled to finish off their chances.
It was a much-needed win for the five-time world champions, who had drawn 0-0 with Ecuador in Ancelotti’s debut match and had only one win in their last five World Cup qualifiers. Despite the slow build-up and missed chances, the home crowd went home happy as Brazil extended their perfect head-to-head home record against Paraguay to six straight wins.
Slow Start Despite Attacking Talent
Ancelotti made three changes to the team that failed to impress in the goalless draw against Ecuador, with Raphinha returning to the starting lineup. But even with the likes of Vinicius, Gabriel Martinelli, and Matheus Cunha in attack, Brazil looked disconnected in the opening half-hour.
The Selecao’s first real chance came when Vinicius failed to convert a square pass from Cunha, sliding in too late to connect properly. That miss almost came back to haunt Brazil minutes later when Paraguay’s Juan Cáceres tried an ambitious scissor-kick that deflected dangerously wide of Alisson Becker’s post.
Paraguay barely saw the ball in the first half, managing less than 30% possession, and were mostly content to sit deep and try to frustrate Brazil. But their resistance almost cracked when Martinelli floated a perfect cross to the far post. It found Cunha in acres of space, but instead of heading at goal, he tried to cushion it back into the center—and ended up wasting the golden opportunity.
Vinicius Breaks the Deadlock
The Selecao finally broke through just before the halftime whistle. Raphinha caused chaos in the Paraguayan defence by drawing three players toward him. The ball eventually bounced loose in the box, and Cunha reacted quickest, squaring the ball into the path of Vinicius. This time, the Real Madrid star made no mistake, smashing the ball past goalkeeper Gatito Fernández to put Brazil 1-0 up.
It was a deserved lead after controlling most of the half, though fans were still left wondering why the scoreline wasn’t bigger.
— sharkandtop (@sharkandtop) June 11, 2025
Brazil Push On, But Miss Big Chances
After the break, Brazil returned with urgency, hoping to kill off the game early. They continued to dominate possession, keeping Paraguay pinned in their own half, but still lacked a clinical edge in the final third.
The clearest second-half chance came when Bruno Guimaraes tried a clever lob that forced Fernandez into a fingertip save. The Paraguay goalkeeper was soon called into action again, diving low to deny both Raphinha and Guimaraes in quick succession.
Despite Brazil’s dominance, Paraguay slowly gained confidence as the match wore on. Coach Gustavo Alfaro’s team pushed forward in the final 15 minutes and nearly grabbed a shock equaliser when Brazil failed to deal with a long throw-in. The loose ball fell kindly to Júnior Alonso, whose looping header beat Alisson but sailed just over the bar.
Defense Holds Firm as Brazil Celebrate
Ancelotti made late substitutions to add fresh legs in midfield and tighten up at the back. The Brazilian backline, led by Marquinhos and Eder Militao, held firm to protect the slender lead as time ticked away.
The crowd at the Corinthians Arena rose to their feet at the final whistle, celebrating not just qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but also the beginning of a new chapter under one of Europe’s most decorated managers.
It wasn’t a vintage Brazil performance, but it was gritty and effective—the kind of result that can spark belief in a new era. And for Ancelotti, it was a huge relief to finally secure his first win as Brazil boss after a frustrating debut just days earlier.
Brazil now sit comfortably among the top teams in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, having bounced back from a rough spell with a hard-fought win at home. For Paraguay, the result ended their nine-match unbeaten run in qualifiers, though they remain on course to qualify with just one point needed from their remaining two fixtures.
With the job done for the night and qualification sealed, Brazil left the pitch smiling, their World Cup dream back on track.
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