Luiz Henrique's late goal secures crucial three points for Brazil in a tight contest against Chile
Luiz Henrique (23) netted a vital late goal for Brazil, enabling them to overturn a deficit and secure a 2-1 victory over Chile at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos during the 2026 CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
Chile, having won only once in their previous eight World Cup qualifying matches and sitting second to last in the standings before the match, shocked Brazil within two minutes as Eduardo Vargas directed Felipe Loyola’s exquisite cross into the net, beating Ederson.
Dario Osorio continued to assert Chile's dominance in the early moments of the game, narrowly missing the target shortly thereafter, while the five-time World Cup champions struggled to find their rhythm.
With Vinicius Junior sidelined due to injury, joining the long-term injured Neymar, Brazil found it challenging to threaten Brayan Cortes’s goal for most of the first half.
However, against the flow of the game, Dorival Junior’s team managed to equalize in injury time, as Savinho set up debutant Igor Jesus, who skillfully headed the ball into the net.
Brazil, the only nation to have participated in every World Cup since the inaugural event in 1930, faces uncertainty regarding their qualification for the next tournament, having accumulated only 10 points from their first eight matches in this qualifying cycle.
In a bid to invigorate his team, Junior brought on Bruno Guimarães and Gerson at halftime. Yet, it was Raphinha, one of the starters, who believed he had given Brazil the lead by converting a one-on-one chance past Cortes, only to have the goal disallowed for offside.
In a dramatic conclusion, another substitute, Henrique, delivered a stunning curling shot into the far corner of the net in the dying moments of the match.
This result could be crucial for Brazil’s qualification efforts, propelling them to fourth place in the standings. They will have an opportunity to strengthen their position when they face last-placed Peru on Wednesday.
Another unsatisfactory result in the World Cup Qualifiers has left Chile six points behind the inter-confederation play-off position. Under increasing pressure, manager Ricardo Gareca must now ready his team for a difficult away match against second-placed Colombia on Tuesday.
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