Brazil defeats Colombia in Qualifying, Vini Jr. scores decisive goal
Over 70,000 fans watched as striker Vinicius Júnior scored a brilliant injury-time goal, securing Brazil’s 2-1 victory over Colombia on Thursday (Mar. 20) at the Mané Garrincha Stadium in Brasília. The match was part of the 13th round of South American Qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
With the result, Brazil moved up to second place in the qualifying standings with 21 points, while Colombia sits in sixth with 19 points.
Brazil’s next match will be against leaders Argentina on Tuesday (25) at the Monumental de Núñez Stadium in Buenos Aires.
The Brazilian team, under coach Dorival Júnior, came out firing, with their forwards pressing high and creating scoring opportunities. Just three minutes into the first half, Raphinha delivered a precise pass to Vinícius Júnior, who sprinted into the box. Muñoz fouled the Real Madrid (Spain) striker, and the referee awarded Brazil a penalty. Raphinha stepped up to take the kick and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Vargas to open the scoring.
Colombia equalized in the first half when Luis Díaz, the Liverpool (England) forward, was given space to send a cross past goalkeeper Alisson in the 40th minute.
In the second half, coach Dorival Júnior made several changes to the Brazilian lineup. He first swapped Matheus Cunha for João Pedro, then introduced full-back Wesley, midfielder André, and striker Savinho.
From that point on, the Brazilian team improved their attacking play down the right flank, with Savinho and Wesley combining to create several dangerous moves. Meanwhile, the Colombians tried to control the game in order to secure a draw.
In the closing stages of extra time, Brazil turned to the skill of Vinícius Júnior to seal the victory. The Real Madrid forward received the ball in midfield and unleashed a shot that deflected off Colombian midfielder Lerma, sending it past goalkeeper Vargas and into the net.
