Vinícius Júnior: "We Played Very Poorly – Argentina Were Excellent"
Brazil forward Vinícius Júnior offered a frank assessment following his side’s crushing 4-1 defeat to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers – a match that saw Brazil concede four goals in a qualifier for the first time in their history.
"We played very poorly, and Argentina had an excellent performance in front of their fans," Vinícius told Globo. "We need to rethink everything we are doing. There's only one year left until the World Cup – I've played in one and I don’t want to miss the next one."
"Argentina have been playing with the same core group for a long time, and they’re the reigning world champions. We are still trying to find our identity and regain the trust of the fans. It will be a long road, but we must keep improving."
"Everyone knows the weight of this shirt and the challenges we face. We have to lift our heads, never give up, and fight to reach the World Cup," he added.
Following the heavy defeat, Brazil have slipped to fourth place in the South American qualifying standings.
The qualification journey in Europe is just beginning. Stay tuned and don’t forget to share the fixtures, results, and standings with fellow fans as the road to World Cup 2026 continues.