SAO PAULO (AP) — An 89th-minute goal by substitute Luiz Henrique gave Brazil a 2-1 away win over Chile on Thursday in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match.
The win meant under-pressure Brazil coach Dorival Júnior's team will finish the ninth round of the round-robin competition in fourth place in South American qualifying.
Earlier, Lionel Messi's Argentina drew Venezuela 1-1 in a match that was delayed for 30 minutes due to a wet pitch at Monumental Stadium in the Venezuelan city of Maturin.
Argentina, which leads the 10-team competition, has 19 points after nine matches. Colombia, with 16 points, remains in second place after losing 1-0 at Bolivia. Uruguay is third with 15 points and has a chance to add more in a match against Peru on Friday. Brazil has 13 points.
Argentina's lead in the competition could be reduced on Friday if Uruguay wins at Peru.
Brazil has dramatic comeback
Chile, one of the worst-performing teams in South American qualifying, opened the scoring seconds after the kickoff at the National Stadium in Santiago. Veteran striker Eduardo Vargas headed past goalkeeper Ederson, with the ball gently touching the back of the net.
Brazil struggled to create clear chances, but managed to equalize in added time with a header by its new striker, Igor Jesus. The visitors kept most of the ball possession in the second half, but still failed to get clear chances.
Only in the final minutes, Henrique decided to take his chances from the edge of the box. The winning goal made several Chile players throw themselves to the ground in anguish.
Brazil's next match will be against Peru in Brasilia. Chile will travel to Colombia.
“This shirt means a lot. It is a great feeling for us to wear it. We know what is happening, but we wanted to change it," said Henrique. ”Our fans can be sure we will fight always for this team. We are the only five-time World Cup champions, we will play with passion."
Messi returns for Argentina
Defender Nicolás Otamendi opened the scoring for Argentina in the 13th minute. He pushed the ball to the empty net after a cross by Messi and a mistake by goalkeeper Rafael Romo.
Salomón Rondón equalized in the 65th minute with a header for the only South American team that has yet to play in a World Cup.
“The pitch did not help us do what we wanted to do," said Messi, who returned to the national team after missing the two previous rounds of South American qualifying due to ligament damage in his right ankle.
Venezuela defender Jon Aramburu said his team wanted a win to show its ambition.
“The rain affected the match, we couldn't play well,” he said. “We drew against a team that everyone knows of its potential. But this team is here to beat them, to compete.”
Venezuela's next match will be at Paraguay on Tuesday, the same day that Argentina will host Bolivia.
Bolivia in the clouds to beat Colombia
Colombia, which had been the last unbeaten team in South American qualifying, was shocked at Bolivia in the Municipal Stadium in the city of El Alto, more than 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) above sea level. Bolivia moved into fifth place with 12 points after its first win in 21 years against the Colombians.
Miguel Terceros, also known as Miguelito, scored the winning goal for Bolivia in the 58th minute with a powerful shot after dribbling through two defenders.
Bolivia had lost Héctor Cuellar to a straight red card in the 21st minute after a gruesome tackle that forced the substitution of striker Roger Martinez, but the team remained competitive until the end of the match in its high-altitude stadium.
“We are a young team that wants to change history," Terceros said. “Now we will travel to Argentina thinking about winning.”
Bolivia hasn't qualified for a World Cup edition since the 1994 edition in the United States.
Also on Thursday, Ecuador and Paraguay drew 0-0.
The Ecuadorians are in fourth place with 12 points and ahead of Bolivia on goal difference. Paraguay is in eighth place and out of an automatic qualifying spot with 10 points.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Mauricio Savarese, The Associated Press
