World Cup qualifiers: Brazil need to win at home

Sebastián Beccacece does not believe at all that Brazil has lost its position in the league. With caution, the new Argentine coach from Ecuador plans to field an intense and courageous team to visit Brazil in Curitiba today for the South American World Cup qualifiers.

The seventh round of the qualifiers for the 2026 tournament finds the Canarinha in an unthinkable sixth place after a sum of seven points, just enough to achieve direct qualification. The team led by Dorival Júnior also failed to perform well in the recent Copa América, eliminated by Uruguay in the quarterfinals.

Ecuador, one point ahead in fifth place, could be fishing in troubled waters against a rival that is in a slump.

Beccacece doesn’t see it that way.

“I don’t think Brazil is doing badly, Brazil is Brazil,” Beccacece warned. He added that the Canarinha is a team that throughout history “has always been adverse (to Ecuador), we know the potential they have, in many positions they have the best footballers in the world,” but all of this opens up the possibility of “thinking that it is a great opportunity to change history.”

Ecuador has never managed to collect points in Brazil in the qualifiers: six visits, six losses.

Emotional meeting

The start of Argentine Gustavo Alfaro’s term as Paraguay coach and Luis Suárez’s farewell to Uruguay will mark the duel they will play today.

After six games, Marcelo Bielsa’s team is second with 13 points, after achieving great victories such as those at home against Brazil and away against world champion Argentina.

Paraguay is seventh with five points.

In today’s other match, Peru, last with two points, hosts Colombia, third with 12 points. — EFE

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