Uruguay Halts Argentina’s 14-Match Unbeaten Run with a 2-0 Victory, While Colombia Secures Emotional 2-1 Win Over Brazil

Uruguay disrupted Argentina’s impressive 14-match unbeaten streak by claiming a 2-0 triumph in the World Cup qualifiers on Thursday. Defender Ronald Araujo initiated Uruguay’s lead in the 41st minute, and Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez secured the victory with an 87th-minute counterattack goal in a hard-fought encounter at the Bombonera Stadium in Buenos Aires.

This defeat marked Lionel Messi and Argentina’s first setback in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign and their initial loss since the surprising 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia in the 2022 finals in Qatar. Despite the loss, Argentina, with four wins in their opening qualifiers, maintains the top position in the standings with 12 points from five matches. Uruguay’s win places them in second position with 10 points.

In another compelling South American qualifier on Thursday, Colombia, led by Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, rallied from behind to stun Brazil 2-1 in Barranquilla. Diaz, whose father was recently released after being held hostage by Colombian guerrillas, scored two crucial goals in the 75th and 79th minutes. This remarkable turnaround nullified Brazil’s early lead, courtesy of Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli’s goal in the fourth minute. Brazil faced further disappointment as Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. exited the game with a left thigh injury after 27 minutes.

Meanwhile, Venezuela secured a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Ecuador, and Bolivia climbed off the bottom of the standings with their first points of the qualifiers, clinching a 2-0 home win over Peru.

The top six teams in the round-robin home-and-away qualifying tournament will secure berths at the expanded 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, while the seventh-placed team will enter a playoff.