Brazil lost their first-ever World Cup qualifier on home soli, they suffered a 3-game losing streak & 4 games without a win, Joelinton sent off, Otamendi scored the winner to move up Argentina top.
2026 World Cup qualification South America
0-1
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
0' The fans are fighting on the stand
0' Players have returned to Locker room
0' The match is about to start again!
5' Yellow Card! Jesus booked
14' Yellow Card! Raphinha booked
27' Lo Celso goes down in the box but ref says no penalty!
33' Yellow Card! Carlos Augusto booked
38' Raphinha's free-kick over the bar
59' Martinelli's shot denied
63' GOAL! Brazil 0-1 Argentina (Otamendi)
78' Di Maria subs on, Messi out
81' Red Card! Joelinton sent off
Match Report
Nicolas Otamendi opened the scoring in the 63rd minute with a thumping header from a Giovanni Lo Celso corner to take the lead after a disrupted start due to trouble in the stands.
This rivalry between two of the oldest foes in football began in deeply dramatic circumstances, with play held up for around 29 minutes after trouble broke out in the crowd.
Fans could be seen throwing seats at one another while Brazilian police waded in with batons to help try and calm things down, before Argentina players left the field and returned to their dressing room.
The game eventually got underway after the lengthy delay, but the opening salvo was disrupted by a succession of free-kicks and fouls, with Gabriel Jesus and Raphinha picking up bookings within the first 15 minutes.
Neither side was really able to flex their muscles throughout the first half with constant fouls creating a stop-start affair.
The hosts isolated Argentinian talisman Lionel Messi to good effect, and the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner was even seen twice receiving attention to his right thigh.
Neither side was really able to carve out any meaningful opportunities in the opening period, with Brazil committing 16 fouls early on to break down any fluidity to the Albiceleste's game.
The second half however saw much better play from both sides, with Brazil in particular looking a threat coming forward through Arsenal duo Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli.
The latter had a good opportunity saved by Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez after some strong dribbling from Jesus, but Martinelli's effort was straight at the goalkeeper from inside the box.
Otamendi ultimately drew first blood in the fierce and intense encounter from a Giovanni Lo Celso corner, the former Man City defender left more or less unmarked in the centre of the box to thump home his header.
From then on the visitors seemed content to baton down the hatches and withstand the onslaught, but it was a fairly tame Brazil side that failed to truly trouble Martinez's goal.
The world champions handed their fiercest rivals a third consecutive loss as Brazil came into the match having conceded back-to-back defeats in World Cup qualifiers for the first time in their history.
It was also Brazil's first ever home loss in a World Cup qualifier. Argentina top the standings on 15 points with Brazil eight points behind in sixth place, the last spot that guarantees a berth at the 2026 finals.
Line-ups
Brazil XI: Alisson, Marquinhos, Jesus, Guimaraes, Raphinha, Gabriel, Aparecido, Rodrygo, Martinelli, Carlos Augusto, André
Subs: Joelinton, Lucas Perri, Nino, Raphael Veiga, Douglas Luiz, Lodi, Gleison, Pepê, Paulinho, João Pedro, Bento, Endrick
Argentina XI: Messi, Otamendi, E. Martinez, Acuna, De Paul, Lo Celso, Nahuel Molina, Romero, Mac Allister, Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández
Subs: Di Maria, F. Armani, Tagliafico, Paredes, Pezzella, Ocampos, Musso, G. Rodriguez, Exequiel Palacios, Lautaro, Gonzalo Montiel, N. Gonzalez