Argentina thrash Brazil to seal World Cup qualification
Argentina produced a stunning performance to hammer their arch-rivals Brazil 4-1 in the World Cup Qualifiers.
With both teams coming off a win, expectations were sky-high for this riveting contest; however, the reigning World champions made it a one-sided affair.
Argentina drew first blood four minutes into the game after Julian Alvarez nodded home past a sloppy Brazilian defence.
Enzo Fernandez blasted home inside the six-yard box to double the lead after Nahuel Molina's pass took a deflection off Brazilian defender Murilo.
La Selecao cut the deficit just before the half-hour mark, with Matheus Cunha capitalising on Cristian Romero's defensive error.
But La Albiceleste piled further misery on the visitors after Alexis Mac Allister restored the two-goal cushion following an impressive volley off Fernandez's pass.
Giuliano Simeone put the game to bed in the 71st minute after firing home an incredible strike for his first senior international goal.
Giuliano Simeone was pumped that his first goal for Argentina came against Brazil 😤 pic.twitter.com/n8RYjmWqEv
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 26, 2025
Moving eight points clear at the top of the South American Qualifiers table, Argentina have also booked their place in the World Cup next year.
On the other hand, Brazil endured a disastrous performance, further underlining their inconsistent form.
Despite the presence of world-class attackers like Raphinha, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, La Selecao managed just only one shot on target.
Other key players including, Joelinton, Marquinhos and Murilo were also underwhelming.
The defeat leaves Brazil fourth in the table with 21 points. The top six teams will qualify for the World Cup.
Head Coach Dorival Junior will also be on the firing line after the calamitous result.
He has managed seven wins, seven defeats and one draw since taking over at the Brazilian national team.
He also oversaw Brazil getting knocked out at the quarter-finals in last year's Copa America.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Senegal women's basketball team members denied U.S. visas, prime minister says
The Senegalese women's basketball team has scrapped plans to train in the U.S. for the upcoming AfroBasket tournament in the Ivory Coast next month after several players and team officials had their visas denied, Senegal's prime minister said. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said on Facebook Thursday that the team would train in Senegal's capital, Dakar, 'in a sovereign and conducive setting.' The West African nation's federation said in a statement that the visa applications of five players and seven officials weren't approved. 'Informed of the refusal of issuing visas to several members of the Senegal women's national basketball team, I have instructed the Ministry of Sports to simply cancel the 10-day preparatory training initially planned in the United States of America,' Sonko said. The visa denials come amid a push by the Trump administration to make countries improve vetting of travelers or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States. Senegal wasn't on that list of countries and it was not immediately clear why the visas were denied. A U.S. State Department spokesperson told the Associated Press that it could not comment on individual cases because visa records are confidential under U.S. law. The travel ban includes exemptions for the World Cup, the Olympics and any 'other major sporting event,' though it's unclear what constitutes a major event. The team is coached by Otis Hughley Jr., who previously led the Nigerian women's basketball team. He was the men's coach at Alabama A&M University before resigning in March. Senegal, which was going to train in the U.S. from Sunday through July 3, has finished first or second in four of the last five AfroBasket championships over the last decade and has won 11 titles overall. The tournament determines Africa's champion, which earns entry into the FIBA World Cup next year in Germany. Feinberg writes for the Associated Press.


Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Senegal women's basketball team members denied US visas, prime minister says
The Senegalese women's basketball team has scrapped plans to train in the U.S. for the upcoming AfroBasket tournament in the Ivory Coast next month after several players and team officials had their visas denied, Senegal's prime minister said. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said Thursday on Facebook that the team would train in Senegal's capital, Dakar, 'in a sovereign and conducive setting.' The West African nation's federation said in a statement that the visa applications of five players and seven officials weren't approved. 'Informed of the refusal of issuing visas to several members of the Senegal women's national basketball team, I have instructed the Ministry of Sports to simply cancel the 10-day preparatory training initially planned in the United States of America,' Sonko said. The visa denials come amid a push by the Trump administration to have countries improve vetting travelers or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States. Senegal wasn't on that list of countries and it was not immediately clear why the visas were denied. A State Department spokesperson told The Associated Press the department could not comment on individual cases because visa records are confidential under American law. The travel ban includes exemptions for the World Cup, the Olympics and any 'other major sporting event,' though it's unclear what is considered a major event. The team is coached by Otis Hughley Jr., who previously led the Nigerian women's basketball team. He was the men's coach at Alabama A&M before resigning in March. Senegal, which was going to train in the U.S. from Sunday through July 3, has finished either first or second in four of the last five AfroBasket championships over the last decade and has won 11 titles in total. The tournament determines Africa's champion, which earns entry into the FIBA World Cup next year in Germany.


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Kentucky's Jasper Johnson has made the second Team USA U19 cut
The Kentucky Wildcats didn't land a top five recruit like they have done in previous years, but they ended up with a talented class nonetheless. One of those recruits is guard Jasper Johnson, a top 25 player in this year's class. Both Johnson and Malachi Moreno attended the Team USA U19 training camp, competing for a spot on the team that will compete at the FIBA U19 Men's World Cup in late June and early July. When the team was cut down to 18, Moreno was eliminated with a minor injury, but Johnson moved on. Now, the team has been cut to 15 players, and Johnson, once again, has made it through. Other players to make the cut include former Kentucky targets Chris Cenac Jr., Mikel Brown Jr., and Koa Peat. Current Kentucky target Tyran Stokes is also on the list. The final cut will bring the roster down to the final 12 players who will make up the official team. The World Cup will begin June 28th, and Kentucky fans will hopefully get to root for Johnson there.