Paraguay Triumphs Over Argentina, Brazil Draws with Venezuela in World Cup Qualifiers
Paraguay secured a valuable 2-1 victory over Argentina in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The match saw Argentina take the lead early, with Lautaro Martínez scoring in the 11th minute. However, Paraguay quickly responded with a stunning overhead kick by Antonio Sanabria, leveling the score at 1-1 in the 19th minute.
In the second half, Paraguay capitalized on a set-piece opportunity, with Omar Aldrete scoring the decisive header in the 46th minute, sending the ball into the right corner of Argentina’s net.
With this win, Paraguay climbed to sixth place with 16 points, while Argentina, the 2022 World Cup champions, remain atop the qualifiers with 22 points from 11 matches.
Meanwhile, Brazil was held to a 1-1 draw against Venezuela. Brazil’s Rafinha opened the scoring with a free-kick that deflected off the post and into the net in the 43rd minute. However, Venezuela equalized just 38 seconds into the second half with a powerful shot from substitute Josef Martínez.
Brazil remains in third place with 17 points, while Venezuela sits seventh with 12 points. The top six teams in the South American qualifiers will secure automatic spots for the 2026 World Cup.
