Argentina Beats Brazil 1-0 in FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier.

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Argentina beats Brazil (1-0)

Argentina defeat Brazil 1-0 on Tuesday in a tense 2026 World Cup qualifying encounter overshadowed by pre-match crowd unrest that delayed kick-off. Argentina won thanks to a 63rd-minute header from veteran defender Nicolas Otamendi, as the world champions rallied back from last week’s setback to Uruguay to upset their bitter South American rivals. Argentina now leads the South American qualifiers with 15 points from six games after the victory at Maracana Stadium.

Argentina defeated Brazil 1-0 in a disputed encounter at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, handing them their third consecutive setback in FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The game was marred by pre-match crowd unrest, which caused the kick-off to be delayed.
Argentina’s winning goal came in the 63rd minute, when experienced defender Nicolas Otamendi scored with a header.

Argentina now leads the South American qualification rankings with 15 points from six games after the victory. Brazil, on the other side, is in sixth place with seven points from six games after their third defeat in qualification.

Before the game, the atmosphere became hostile, with Brazilian police using batons to disperse Argentine fans. Argentina’s players, especially goalkeeper Emi Martinez, sought to defuse the situation, with Martinez even confronting a Brazilian police officer carrying a baton.

Argentina’s players, led by Lionel Messi, momentarily fled the pitch during the fights to demonstrate their unwillingness to play. However, the game began around 30 minutes later than expected.

The intense atmosphere continued throughout the game, with early battles costing Brazil’s Gabriel Jesus a yellow card.
The first half featured a few scoring chances, with both teams taking careless fouls. Raphinha of Brazil was booked for an arm to the face of Rodrigo De Paul.

Brazil opened the second half more brightly, but Argentina took the lead in the 63rd minute on Otamendi’s header from a corner supplied by Giovani Lo Celso.
Brazil’s night was made worse in the 82nd minute when replacement Joelinton was sent out for an off-the-ball incident with De Paul, capping off a disappointing evening for the five-time world winners.