Argentina rout Brazil 4-1 to cap World Cup qualification party

BUENOS AIRES – Argentina celebrated their 2026 World Cup qualification with a dazzling 4-1 thrashing of archrivals Brazil in Buenos Aires on March 25.

Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Giuliano Simeone sealed an emphatic win for the world champions, who had been assured of their World Cup berth after Bolivia’s 0-0 draw with Uruguay earlier in the day.

That goal-less stalemate ensured a festive atmosphere at the Estadio Monumental before a ball had been kicked and Argentina kept the party going with a blistering performance.

“It’s a team victory, because we played as a team, and that’s why we minimised Brazil,” said coach Lionel Scaloni.

“It’s the only way to beat these players, playing as a team. I think we played great games, and the important thing is knowing how to interpret each match.

“There will be games where we struggle and others where we don’t. We have to show that we’re capable of playing in different circumstances.”

Atletico Madrid forward Alvarez opened the scoring after just four minutes, latching onto Thiago Almada’s through ball and dinking a close-range finish past Brazil goalkeeper Bento.

It got better for Argentina eight minutes later, when Chelsea’s Fernandez tucked away the hosts’ second goal after Brazil’s back four failed to deal with a low cross.

With Brazil being run ragged by a rampant Argentina, they were thrown a lifeline on 26 minutes after a blunder by Cristian Romero gifted a goal to Matheus Cunha.

But any hopes of a fightback were snuffed out in the 37th minute with a superb goal from Liverpool’s Mac Allister. Almada was once again the creator, lofting a pass into the area, which Mac Allister met with a volley to make it 3-1.

With Argentina in complete control, Simeone then brought the house down with a 71st-minute strike to make it 4-1 – with his first international goal.

Simeone, the 22-year-old son of Argentinian legend Diego Simeone, somehow blasted into the roof of the net from an acute angle to crown a dominant performance by the hosts.

The win means Argentina have qualified for the Finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada with four games to spare.

La Albiceleste lead the 10-team qualifying group with 31 points from 14 games and are guaranteed one of the six automatic qualifying slots awarded to South America. Brazil are fourth on 21 points.

“We expect a tough World Cup, like the last one, with very evenly matched teams,” added Scaloni.

“There’s still work to be done, and a lot can happen. We’re going from squad to squad, enjoying being there.”

In other South American games, Ecuador stayed on course for qualification with a 0-0 draw against Chile in Santiago. Ecuador are second in the standings, eight points adrift of Argentina on 23 points.

Uruguay’s draw with Bolivia – and Brazil’s heavy loss – means they are third on goal difference ahead of the Selecao.

Colombia, meanwhile, missed the chance to close the gap on the leaders after a 2-2 home draw with Paraguay. They are sixth on 20 points, with Paraguay fifth behind Brazil on goal difference.

Venezuela boosted their hopes of a first-ever World Cup qualification with a 1-0 win over Peru in Maturin. Their win lifted them into seventh on 15 points, leaving them on course for an inter-confederation play-off. AFP