Brazil vs Uruguay

One of the most exciting fixtures in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying group pits Brazil and Uruguay against each other at the Estádio Fonte Nova.

Brazil’s humiliating form in the current qualifying cycle continued last week as they spurned a halftime lead in a 1-1 away draw against Venezuela, with Vinicius Junior wasting a penalty. But despite failing to get into the win column for the sixth time in 11 2026 World Cup qualifiers (W5, D2, L4), Dorival Junior’s men sit comfortably in the top six, boasting a five-point lead on seventh-placed Venezuelans. Eager to atone for another sub-par performance, the five-time world champions return to the familiar setting, having won their last two World Cup qualifiers at home without conceding. Anything other than another victory would likely result in Brazil waving goodbye to their chances of topping the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings for a fifth successive campaign.

In the meantime, Uruguay arrested a frustrating four-game winless run in World Cup qualifying (D3, L1) with an action-packed 3-2 home win against Colombia last week. A free-scoring performance was a refreshing experience for manager Marcelo Bielsa after his side failed to find the back of the net in four consecutive post-Copa America qualifiers. La Celeste can draw further confidence from getting the better of Brazil across their last two meetings after going 12 straight H2Hs without winning beforehand (D3, L9). Connoisseurs of free-flowing football may want to pass on this fixture, not least because Uruguay’s last three away World Cup qualifiers have featured under 2.5 goals.