Eduard Bello’s stunning overhead kick ensured a thrilling 1-1 draw for Venezuela against Brazil in the 2026 World Cup qualifier on Thursday. On the same day, Argentina claimed the top spot in the CONMEBOL standings with a 1-0 victory over Paraguay, maintaining their flawless record.
The second half in Cuiaba witnessed fireworks as Gabriel Magalhaes found the net in the 50th minute with a powerful header from Neymar’s corner, marking his first international goal. Brazil had opportunities to extend their lead, but Vinicius Jr’s goal was disallowed for offside in the 71st minute. Eduard Bello’s acrobatic goal in the 85th minute leveled the score, leaving the hosts ruing missed chances.
Argentina secured their position at the top of the standings with a narrow win in Buenos Aires. Nicolas Otamendi’s early stunner, a sensational volley from a corner, gave Argentina the lead after just three minutes. Lionel Messi, who recently battled a muscle problem, joined the match in the 53rd minute and nearly added to Argentina’s tally with a late free-kick that struck the woodwork. Argentina’s next challenge is against Peru in Lima.
In Barranquilla, Uruguay and Colombia played out a 2-2 draw, thanks to a late penalty by Darwin Nunez. James Rodriguez opened the scoring for Colombia in the 35th minute, while Mathias Olivera equalized for Uruguay just after half-time. Mateus Uribe’s strike restored Colombia’s lead five minutes later. However, Colombia’s hopes of victory were dashed when goalkeeper Camilo Vargas received a second yellow card for a foul on Maximiliano Araujo, conceding a penalty. Alvaro Montero replaced Vargas but couldn’t stop Nunez’s spot-kick.
As a result, Colombia and Uruguay currently occupy the third and fourth positions in the standings, while Chile stands in fifth place following their 2-0 victory over Peru.
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