The Brazilian team ended their participation in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday (9) with a 1-0 loss to Bolivia in El Alto, in a game under the strong influence of the altitude of the Bolivian city-4,150 meters above sea level.
The only goal of the match came 48 minutes into the first half, a penalty converted by striker Miguelito, who defends América-MG, as a result that marked Carlo Ancelotti’s first defeat at the head of the Brazilian team, after two wins and a draw.
With the result, the Brazilian team ended the regional qualifier fifth in the classification table, with 28 points. It is the worst place in Brazil since the South American qualifiers adopted the current format, with shift and return games among the ten teams, to the 1998 World Cup. The worst placement had been third in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers.
The five -time team was exceeded in the last round by Ecuador, which reached 29 points after a victory over Argentina, and by Colombia and Uruguay, who also arrived at 28, with victory over Venezuela and a draw with Chile, respectively, as well as Paraguay, who beat Peru. The goal balance was adopted as the first tiebreaker criterion.
Already Bolivia exceeded Venezuela, which lost 6 to 3 to Colombia playing at home, and with 20 points, secured the seventh place in the qualifying table, which entitles to the dispute of the recap for the World Cup. The dispute will be in March 2026, against five other selections from North America (two representatives), Africa, Asia and Oceania, in search of two vacancies.
The last Bolivian participation in the World Cup was in 1994, in the United States.
With an expanded format with 48 teams, South America has six direct vacancies and one for the recap. In the 2022 World Cup, there were four selections classified directly, with the fifth going to the recap.
In 18 qualifying matches, there were eight wins from Brazil, with five draws and five losses. The team scored 24 goals and conceded 17.
Announced in May, Ancelotti debuted with the team in a goalless draw with Ecuador, following a 1-0 win against Paraguay, when Brazil secured a place in the World Cup, and 3-0 against Chile in the previous round in Maracanã.
The first defeat came with the coach betting on a rested team, with nine changes to the starting lineup compared to the eleven that started against Chile.
With the players concerned about saving breath to endure the rhythm at altitude, with less intensity compared to the previous game against the Chileans in Rio, the Brazilian team had few opportunities in the first half, with the home team creating the main chances with Miguelito, by the right end.
The first kick towards the Bolivian goal came only at 39, with Luiz Henrique, again highlighting the attack of the national team.
When the game was already approaching the break, Chilean referee Cristian Garay, after consulting the VAR, scored a lack of Bruno Guimarães on top of the defender Roberto Fernandéz inside the area. Miguelito hit Alison’s right corner and opened the scoring for Bolivia.
In the second half, the first time of the first remained, with the most worn -out Brazilian players and Bolivia most present in the attacking field and also using wax to slow the match.
At 15, Ancelotti promoted three exchanges in front, with the entrances of Raphinha, Stephen and João Pedro, to the exits of Luiz Henrique, Samuel Lino and Richarlison, respectively.
Brazil even improved with the changes and began to press Bolivia. It was the Bolivian national team, however, that it took more danger again, first with kick from midfielder Robson Matheus, forcing Alisson to spread out at 25, and again at 40, with Algarañaz hitting a firm head to the new good defense of Liverpool Brazilian archer.
In the last bid of danger of the match, Raphinha took a free kick at the entrance of the area in the middle of the goal, to the easy defense of the goalkeeper Lampe.
After the game, Barcelona striker criticized the game at altitude.
“From the moment they put you to play at 4,000 meters altitude to win the game, the other selections disadvantage. The game was balanced, but the referee found a penalty,” said Raphinha.
“The main objective was to classify the national team for the World Cup. We have reached the goal and now is to work to get well in the World Cup,” said the player.
Three technicians and Neymar injury mark Brazilian trajectory in the qualifiers
Since the start of the qualifiers, in September 2023, the Brazilian team was led by three different technicians, was without its main player and lived with criticism of the backstage fans and crisis, with exchange in the presidency of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation).
Reconciling the work with the national team with the command of Fluminense, Fernando Diniz was the team coach at the beginning of the competition, with victories in the first two matches, against Bolivia and Peru.
Following, the team failed to get out of a draw with Venezuela, and lost 2-0 to Uruguay in Montevideo, in a match marked by the serious injury that left Neymar away from the pitch for about a year, without the player returned to the field with the national team.
Diniz would run the national team in just two more qualifying matches, in defeats for Colombia and Argentina, with bad performances of the team on the pitch that increased criticism of their work and ended up resigning in the resignation weeks later.
Dorival Júnior took over, leading the national team in eight matches in the competition, with four wins, two draws and two losses. The last defeat, the 4-1 defeat by Argentina in Buenos Aires, completely dominated by the opposing team throughout the match, resulted in the coach’s fall.
In his last act before being removed from the presidency of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) for irregularities in the process that resulted in his election, Ednaldo Rodrigues managed to make the old desire to hire Italian Carlo Ancelotti, coming from Real Madrid, with just over a year to the beginning of the World Cup.
In the beginning of work, Ancelotti promoted a series of tests to get to know the group of players better, but has signaled some preferences, such as the defensive midfielder Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães among the midfield holders, with Alisson in the goal.
The first months of Italian in Brazil were also marked by the non -call of Neymar. The coach quoted the physical condition still far from the ideal of the player, in the evaluation of the coaching staff, as a criterion to leave him out of the team so far.
With the end of participating in the qualifiers, Brazil returns to the field in October, in friendly preparatory against South Korea, Seoul, and Japan, in Tokyo.
First edition with 48 selections —16 more than at Qatar, in 2022 – the World Cup will have 104 matches, with the teams divided into 12 groups with four teams each. The first two of each key advances, with the 32 selections, facing the knockout matches.
The group stage draw is scheduled for December 5 in Washington.
The competition starts on June 11, 2026, at the Azteca Stadium, Mexico City, with the final on July 19 at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey.
The ticket sales process begins this Wednesday (10), at noon (Brasília time).
Bolivia 1 x 0 Brazil
Competition: World Cup qualifiers
Local: El Alto Municipal Stadium, in El Alto
Arbitrator: Cristian Garay (CHL)
Gol: Miguelito (Bolivia), 48 minutes into the first half
Brazil: Alisson; Vitinho (Marquinhos), Fabrício Bruno, Alex and Caio Henrique; Andrey Santos (Jean Lucas), Bruno Guimarães and Lucas Paquetá; Luiz Henrique (Raphinha), Samuel Lino (Stephen) and Richarlison (João Pedro)
Technical: Carlo Ancelotti
Bolivia: Lampe; Diego Medina (yomar rocha), haquín, Morales and Roberto Fernandez; Villamel, Ervin Vaca (Hector Cuélar), Robson Matheus; Miguelito, Enzo Monteiro (Algarañaz) and Moisés Paniagua
Technical: Óscar Villegas
