Brazil vs Paraguay: World Cup Qualifying Match Preview
Brazil will look to potentially clinch a spot at the 2026 World Cup when they host Paraguay in a crucial CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying match on Tuesday. The Selecao, led by coach Carlo Ancelotti, will be looking to bounce back from a less-than-thrilling start to his tenure.
According to CBS Sports, Brazil enter Tuesday’s match in fourth place in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings, just one point ahead of sixth-place Colombia. The top six teams in South America’s qualifying tournament will automatically qualify for next year’s tournament in North America, while a seventh will enter the intercontinental playoffs.
Brazil are four points ahead of seventh-place Venezuela with three games to go, and eight points ahead of eighth-place Bolivia. A win on Tuesday could see them qualify for the 2026 World Cup, depending on the result of the match between Uruguay and Venezuela.
“It’s a very important match for us,” Ancelotti said in his pre-match press conference on Monday. “We had the necessary time to prepare both matches, a little less against Ecuador. The team is fresh, we will have every tool to do well tomorrow.”
The Brazilian team will be boosted by the return of Raphinha, who missed the last match due to a suspension. The Barcelona player had a career-best season with his club, notching 34 goals and 22 assists, and could provide a true boost to Brazil.
Paraguay, on the other hand, are two points ahead of Brazil in third place and will be looking to qualify for their first World Cup in 16 years. According to Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro, the pressure is not on them to perform on Tuesday.
“These are the kinds of matches where we have everything to win and nothing to lose,” Alfaro said on Monday. “Because if we win and we can get the results we want, what will we have achieved? A dream postponed for 15 years.”
The two teams last met in September in the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion, where the hosts beat Brazil 1-0. Diego Gomez scored the game’s lone goal in the 20th minute.
Brazil are expected to make several changes to their lineup, with Richarlison and Estevao likely to be replaced. The Selecao will be looking to improve on their performance in the last match, where they took just three shots in a 0-0 draw against Ecuador.
The match between Brazil and Paraguay will take place on Tuesday at 8:45 p.m. ET at the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Fans can live stream the match on Fanatiz.
In terms of odds, Brazil are favored to win at -280, while Paraguay are at +750. A draw is priced at +350.
CBS Sports’ predicted lineup for Brazil is: Alisson, Vanderson, Marquinhos, Alexsandro, Alex Sandro, Bruno Guimaraes, Casemiro, Gerson, Raphinha, Matheus Cunha, Vinicius Junior.
For Paraguay, the predicted lineup is: Gatito Fernandez, Juan Jose Caceres, Gustavo Gomez, Omar Alderete, Junior Alonso, Miguel Almiron, Andres Cubas, Diego Gomez, Matías Galarza, Julio Enciso, Antonio Sanabria.
The player to watch in this match is Raphinha, who could provide a true boost to Brazil.
The storyline to watch is the World Cup qualification scenario, where both Brazil and Paraguay need a win or a draw to clinch a spot at the 2026 tournament.
CBS Sports predicts that the match will end in a 1-1 draw, with both teams sharing the spoils.
For more information on how to watch the match, fans can check out CBS Sports.
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