A late goal in the 89th minute by substitute Luiz Henrique gave Brazil a 2-1 victory over Chile on Thursday in a qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup.
This win means that Brazil’s coach, Dorival Júnior, whose team has faced pressure, will finish the ninth round of qualifiers in fourth place in South America.
Earlier, Lionel Messi’s Argentina played to a 1-1 draw against Venezuela in a match that was delayed for 30 minutes due to a wet field at Monumental Stadium in Maturin, Venezuela.
Argentina leads the 10-team qualifiers with 19 points after nine matches. Colombia is in second place with 16 points after losing 1-0 to Bolivia, while Uruguay is third with 15 points and has a chance to improve when they face Peru on Friday. Brazil currently has 13 points.
In a dramatic turn of events, Chile, one of the poorer teams in South American qualifiers, scored first just seconds into the match at the National Stadium in Santiago. Veteran striker Eduardo Vargas scored with a header past goalkeeper Ederson.
Brazil struggled to create clear opportunities but managed to equalize in stoppage time with a header from Igor Jesus, who replaced the injured Vinicius Júnior. Brazil had more ball possession in the second half but still couldn’t find clear chances.
In the closing moments, Henrique took a shot from the edge of the box, scoring the winning goal and leaving several Chile players in despair.
Brazil’s next match will be against Peru in Brasilia, while Chile will head to Colombia.
“This shirt means a lot. It is a great feeling for us to wear it. We know what is happening, but we wanted to change it,” Henrique said. “Our fans can be sure we will always fight for this team. We are the only five-time World Cup champions, and we will play with passion.”
Dorival Júnior mentioned that his team will experience ups and downs as he tries out new players.
“We will have a very strong team two years from now,” Júnior said, referring to the next World Cup. “But it is only in the dictionary that success comes before work.”
