Chile vs Brazil

The stakes are high for Chile and Brazil as they lock horns in a must-win 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos.

Even an unlikely triumph in this blockbuster contest wouldn’t be enough for out-of-sorts Chile to reach the inter-confederation playoff position following a nightmarish eight-game start to this qualifying campaign (W1, D2, L5). While losing 3-0 to world champions Argentina was somewhat expected, a 2-1 home defeat to Bolivia was a humiliating end to Chile’s dreadful form in September. With the pressure mounting on head coach Ricardo Gareca amid a five-game winless run (D2, L3), La Roja face another ominous-looking task in the shape of a Brazil side they’ve conceded nine unanswered goals against across their last four H2Hs (L4). Another scoreless showing is on the cards here, with Chile failing to find the net four times during the abovementioned five-game winless streak!

As for Brazil, they delivered a mixed bag of performances in September. After a 1-0 home triumph against Ecuador, that same scoreline was their scourge in an away game against perennial strugglers Paraguay, pouring more pressure on manager Dorival Junior. That upset worsened Dorival’s disastrous win ratio in charge of Brazil (40%), accounting for one of the worst managerial stints in the country’s storied footballing history. Indeed, the five-time world champions have only won two of their seven World Cup qualifiers in the ongoing cycle (D3, L2) despite starting each match as favorites. Worryingly, since the last World Cup in Qatar, four of Brazil’s eight internationals on foreign soil have ended in defeat (W2, D2), underscoring the significance of taking three points in Santiago.