Brazil captain Marquinhos apologized to the fans on Tuesday after his team suffered their heaviest defeat in a World Cup qualifier with a 4-1 thrashing by bitter rivals Argentina in Buenos Aires.
Julian Alvarez sent the hosts ahead just four minutes into the game before Enzo Fernandez added a second just eight minutes later. Wolves forward Matheus Cunha pulled a goal back for Brazil to give them a foothold in the match but goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Giuliano Simeone saw Argentina secure qualification for the World Cup in 2026.
More worryingly, Brazil only managed three attempts during the whole match as they were played off the pitch by their historic rivals.
The five-times World Cup winners have won just once in their last four games and Marquinhos urged his team mates to turn things around as quickly as possible.
“What we did here today can’t happen again,” he 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.”
Manager Dorival Jr has failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning just seven of his 16 games in charge since taking over in early 2024.
“It’s not just the coach’s fault. It’s the players’ fault too,” Marquinhos said. “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.”
While Argentina have already secured their place at the 2026 World Cup, Brazil still have work to do to claim an automatic berth in North America.
They are fourth in the South American standings on 21 points, just six points ahead of Venezuela in seventh place, which carries a spot in the inter-confederation playoffs.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni was thrilled by his side’s performance.
“We played as a team and that’s why we minimized Brazil. We played at the highest level,” he said. “We have to keep proving ourselves, but knowing that it won’t always be like this.”