Vinicius Jr sends Brazil to 2026 World Cup on Ancelotti's home debut

A winner from Vinicius Jr helped Brazil to a 1-0 victory over Paraguay, and secured a place at the 2026 World Cup on a momentous home debut for new head coach Carlo Ancelotti.

The former Real Madrid boss had received some frustration from fans after Thursday's 0-0 draw with Ecuador, with Brazil much more defensively-minded than is typical of a side so famed for its attacking talent.

The Italian coach, who turned 66 on Tuesday, promised changes to make his team more aggressive as they looked to book a place at next summer's tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

He was welcomed by 46,000 fans in Sao Paulo, as Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli replaced midfielder Gerson to add more creativity, while Barcelona forward Raphinha returned after suspension and created problem after problem, paired with new Manchester United recruit Matheus Cunha up top.

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A low cross from Cunha was finished by Vinicius Jr on the stroke of half-time, and although the Selecao should have won by more, the performance was far more controlled and composed than Ancelotti's first in charge.

"We needed to win here for our people. Now we have more time to work, see what we can improve," Vinicius Jr said. "We need to celebrate this. After September it is all about the World Cup."

After the final whistle, a clip of Ancelotti's first days on the job were shown on big screens around the stadium, prompting more raucous celebration, as if the Italian coach had already reinvigorated a team that, only three months ago, appeared lost and doomed.

Ancelotti insisted his squad was balanced despite containing four strikers. "It's no problem to play with three or four up front. We need 10 players to run, to sacrifice," he said.

"Rodrygo did this many times, I know him well. And Neymar will also do it."

Brazil, who remain the only team to play in every edition of the World Cup, move to second spot in the South American qualifying standings with 25 points, 10 behind Argentina but, crucially, more than six points clear of the seventh-placed team with two games remaining.