Brazil secured a convincing 4-0 victory over Peru in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match, building on the momentum gained from their comeback win in Chile the previous week. However, head coach Dorival Junior acknowledged that his team is still a work in progress.
Winger Raphinha scored two penalty goals to lead a stronger Brazil to a home win, placing the five-time World Cup champions in fourth place in South American qualifying with 16 points after 10 matches. The top six teams directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Following their disappointing performance at the Copa America, where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals for the second consecutive time, Brazil’s team has faced criticism. Prior to the victory against Chile, they had lost four out of five qualifiers, and Dorival admitted that there is still a lot of work to be done. He told reporters, “We need to recognize that this is a developing team and it requires adjustments.” He also added, “The team may still have ups and downs, but we played with determination and did not give our opponents a chance.”
As Brazil faces tough upcoming matches, Dorival remains focused on preparing his team. He stated, “We have some challenging games ahead and we need to be ready. I do not deceive myself with any situation, just as I did not lose hope during difficult times.”
According to media reports, the 25-year-old Raphinha had taken a personal trip to Stockholm last week with a group of friends. Brazil will travel to Venezuela for their next World Cup qualifier on November 14th and then host Uruguay, who are currently in third place, five days later.
