Brazil facing their worst World Cup qualifiers ever | OneFootball

The Verdeamarela qualified for the next edition of the tournament after finishing fifth in the standings, a position that previously did not grant a direct spot.

With eight wins, four draws, and six losses, Brazil successfully surpassed the South American Qualifiers and qualified for the 2026 World Cup. However, they did so directly thanks to the expansion of slots because, under the previous system, they would have played in the Playoff.

Previously, the region only had four slots and an extra for the playoffs. Therefore, the Verdeamarela (which finished fifth in this edition) would not have been able to access the tournament to be held in Mexico, the United States, and Canada, or at least not without playing one more match.

Brazil's performance in the last three South American Qualifiers

Taking the South American Qualifiers for the 2018, 2022, and 2026 World Cups as a reference point, Brazil had its worst performance in this latest edition.

The Canarinha reached Russia and Qatar as, in terms of numbers, the best team on the continent. In fact, in both cases, they finished first in the standings with 41 and 45 points respectively.

However, they did not have the same luck for Mexico, the United States, and Canada, where they only recorded 28 points in 18 matches and finished fifth.

Brazil bid farewell to the South American Qualifiers with a defeat against Bolivia

With a penalty goal by Miguel Terceros, Bolivia won 1-0 at high altitude against Brazil and secured their participation in the Playoff for the 2026 World Cup.

Which South American teams qualified for the 2026 World Cup

Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia, and Paraguay secured the six direct slots that South America has for the 2026 World Cup through the South American Qualifiers. However, the next edition of the tournament may have another team from the region: Bolivia, which entered the Playoff after defeating the Verdeamarela 1-0.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.