Colombia gained a measure of revenge for their Copa America final loss by defeating Argentina 2-1, while Brazil suffered a 1-0 upset against Paraguay in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday. Colombia captain James Rodriguez coolly converted a penalty in the 60th minute to secure the hard-earned win over the world champions, who were missing their injured skipper Lionel Messi. This victory was particularly sweet for Colombia, who had lost 1-0 to Argentina in the Copa America final two months prior in Miami.
“I think this is the first time I’ve scored against them — there’s a first for everything,” Rodriguez said after netting the decisive penalty.
“This wasn’t a final, but playing against a team that’s won everything makes this win even sweeter.”
The win at Barranquilla’s Metropolitano Stadium pushed Colombia into second place in the 10-team South American qualifying table, with 16 points from eight games, trailing leaders Argentina by just two points.
Colombia took an early lead in the 25th minute when Rodriguez floated a cross to Yerson Mosquera, who headed it home. However, Argentina equalized shortly after halftime, capitalizing on a Rodriguez error that allowed Nicolas Gonzalez to sprint through and beat Colombia’s goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
The match’s turning point came 12 minutes later when Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi fouled Daniel Munoz. After consulting the VAR, referee Piero Maza awarded a penalty, which Rodriguez calmly slotted past Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Colombia’s Jhon Duran had a chance to extend the lead but missed from close range, firing straight at Martinez.
Despite the loss, Argentina remains on track to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. With the tournament expanding to 48 teams, the top six in South American qualifying will automatically qualify, while the seventh team will enter a playoff.
Meanwhile, Brazil’s struggles in qualifying continued with a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay in Asuncion. Diego Gomez, who is expected to join Brighton in the Premier League, scored the match’s only goal with a long-range strike that hit the post before going in during the 20th minute. Brazil is now fifth in the standings with 10 points, tied with Venezuela on goal difference after their 0-0 draw against Uruguay. Paraguay climbed to seventh with nine points.
In other matches, Chile’s chances of qualifying suffered a blow as they lost 2-1 at home to Bolivia, putting them in ninth place. Bolivia moved up to eighth, just behind Paraguay. Ecuador strengthened their position with a 1-0 win over Peru, thanks to a goal from veteran striker Enner Valencia. Ecuador now sits in fourth with 11 points, while Peru remains bottom with just three points from 10 games.
