Marquinhos apologises to fans after Brazil's ‘embarrassing’ 4-1 World Cup qualifying loss to bitter rivals Argentina
Published 26/03/2025 at 09:03 GMT
Brazil’s poor run of form continued with a 4-1 defeat away to rivals Argentina in a qualifying match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Argentina, who are the reigning champions, have already booked their spot in the tournament, while Brazil sit fourth in the table on 21 points from 14 games with four rounds of fixtures remaining. The result means Brazil have not beaten Argentina in almost six years.
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Video credit: SNTV
Brazil captain Marquinhos apologised to fans after they were thumped 4-1 by bitter rivals Argentina in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
The reigning world champions were without Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez but still dominated their opponents from the outset.
Goals from Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandez made it 2-0 with just 12 minutes on the clock before a mistake from Cristian Romero allowed Matheus Cunha in to halve Brazil’s deficit midway through the first period.
Alexis Mac Allister restored Argentina’s two-goal cushion before the break and substitute Giuliano Simeone rounded out the scoring 20 minutes from time.
The defeat was Brazil’s heaviest in a World Cup qualifier, and it left them fourth in the table on 21 points from 14 games, behind Argentina, Ecuador and Uruguay.
"What we did here today can’t happen again," Marquinhos told Brazilian TV Globo. "It’s hard to talk about it in the heat of the moment. It’s embarrassing.
"We started the game very badly, far below what we could do and they’re on a great run of confidence. They knew how to play smart. I’m sorry for our fans."
Brazil haven’t beaten Argentina in six years, with the latest loss increasing pressure on manager Dorival Junior.
"It’s not just the coach’s fault... it’s the players’ fault too," Marquinhos added. "There’s no secret formula in football where you make a choice and it works out. We can all do better. We have to share the blame. It’s about understanding the moment and being humble."
There was plenty of needle between players, although that did not translate into competitiveness during the game itself.
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Argentina’s place in next summer’s World Cup had already been sealed when Uruguay and Bolivia drew 0-0 earlier on Tuesday, but they still made a strong statement as anticipation ramps up for their defence of the famous trophy.
"We humbly did our job and played a great game. We gave them a show," goalscorer Alvarez said.
"It was a historic result, winning by 4-1, and that makes us really proud, I’m so happy for the fans, for helping the team and to see how we played an impressive game at home. It’s great to know that we are qualified for the World Cup."
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