Brazil captain Marquinhos has issued an apology to fans following a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Argentina in a crucial FIFA World Cup Qualifier in Buenos Aires.
Argentina Dominate as Brazil Struggle
Argentina, already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, delivered a stunning performance with goals from Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Giuliano Simeone. Brazil’s lone goal came from Matheus Cunha, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their worst-ever World Cup qualifying defeat.
Speaking to Brazilian broadcaster Globo, Marquinhos admitted,
“What we did here can’t happen again. It’s hard to talk about it in the heat of the moment. It’s embarrassing. We started the game badly, far below what we could do. Argentina are in great form and played smart. I’m sorry for our fans.”
Argentina Shine Without Lionel Messi
Even without their talisman Lionel Messi, Argentina dominated from the start, taking a 2-0 lead within the first 12 minutes through Alvarez and Fernandez. Though Cristian Romero’s mistake allowed Brazil to pull one back, Mac Allister restored Argentina’s advantage before halftime.
Argentina continued to press and missed several chances before Simeone sealed the win with a late goal, sending home fans into wild celebrations.
“Winning 4-1 is historic. I’m so happy for the fans,” said Atlético Madrid star Alvarez after the match.
Raphinha’s Pre-Match Comments Spark Controversy
Brazil forward Raphinha added fuel to the fire before the game, declaring that Brazil would “beat them up on and off the pitch” and that he was guaranteed to score.
However, his heated words backfired as a reckless challenge from him in the first half led to a heated confrontation with Argentina players. Coach Lionel Scaloni downplayed the incident, stating:
“I know he didn’t do it on purpose. He was just defending his team and had no intention to offend anyone.”
South American Qualifying Standings
With this victory, Argentina leads the South American qualifying table with 31 points from 14 matches. They are 16 points ahead of seventh-placed Venezuela, with the top six teams automatically qualifying for the tournament.
Brazil, currently fourth with 21 points, still have work to do with four matches left in the qualifiers.
Elsewhere, Paraguay and Colombia played out a 2-2 draw, with Luis Diaz and Jhon Duran scoring early for Colombia, before Paraguay fought back through Junior Alonso and Julio Enciso.
