Match preview for Brazil v Paraguay
Brazil can qualify for the World Cup with a victory in Carlo Ancelotti’s first home game as coach versus Paraguay and some help from another traditional South American powerhouse.
Ancelotti’s first game since taking over from Dorival Junior ended in a 0-0 draw in Ecuador, a respectable result against the second-placed side in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying group.
They have another tough assignment on their hands in Sao Paulo on Tuesday, as they face a Paraguay team that, like Ecuador, is two points above the Selecao in the standings.
Paraguay’s 2-0 win over Uruguay on Thursday moved them a step closer to World Cup qualification for the first time since 2010.
A win in Brazil would essentially secure their place at the next two World Cup finals — they have already qualified for the 2030 tournament as commemorative match hosts — regardless of the result of the game between Uruguay and Venezuela.
If Paraguay prevail and Venezuela fail to win, then Paraguay will clinch their place at the 2026 finals.
Brazil, meanwhile, need a favour from Uruguay to be sure of their place with a victory. Seventh-placed Venezuela occupy the interconfederation play-off spot and are four points behind Brazil with three games to go. Brazil will qualify if they win and Uruguay beat Venezuela.
Should Brazil prevail and Venezuela draw with Uruguay, then Ancelotti’s men would have to wait until September to confirm their place at the finals.
ÚLTIMOS AJUSTES! 🎯🇧🇷
A Seleção Brasileira realizou o último treino antes de enfrentar o Paraguai nesta terça-feira (10), às 21:30h, na Neo Química Arena, em São Paulo.
Vamos juntos, VAMOS BRASIL! 💚💛
🎥 Joilson Marcone / Lesley Ribeiro / CBF TV pic.twitter.com/7pm9FErXkM
— CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) June 10, 2025
Brazil will be boosted by the return of Raphinha from suspension.
The Barcelona forward is one of the chief contenders for the Ballon d’Or after a stunning season with the Blaugrana.
And Ancelotti is delighted to have Raphinha at his disposal as he seeks to get Brazil over the line.
“Yes, Raphinha will return, and this is good news for us because he showed last season that he is one of the best players in football, and he will help us a lot,” Ancelotti told a press conference.
“The match is important tomorrow, and we need to perform well to get closer to the goal and qualify, and Raphinha’s presence will be very important.
“Paraguay is playing very well. It’s a very solid team and is not afraid to go forward. But we are going to try to play our game and we hope that we can make our fans happy.”
Team news for Brazil v Paraguay
Raphinha’s return is the headline news for a Brazil side that came out of the testing encounter with Ecuador with no injury issues.
He is expected to come into the XI along with Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli and new Manchester United signing Matheus Cunha.
Gerson, Esteban and Richarlison are all reportedly set to drop to the bench.
Paraguay are also in an excellent position in terms of health, having come through their impressive win over Uruguay unscathed.
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Predicted line-ups for Brazil v Paraguay
Brazil: Alisson; Vanderson, Marquinhos, Alexsandro, Alex Sandro; Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães; Raphinha; Gabriel Martinelli, Vinicius; Cunha.
Paraguay: Fernandez; Caceres, G. Gomez, Alderete, Alonso; D. Gomez, Cubas, Galarza, Enciso; Almiron, Sanabria.
How to watch Brazil v Paraguay: TV and online stream
Brazil versus Paraguay kicks off at 1:45am UK time on Wednesday morning. It can be watched on Premier Sports 2 and streamed on the Premier Sports app. It is also available to bet365 customers online and via the bet365 app.
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Stats for Brazil v Paraguay
- Paraguay won the reverse fixture 1-0 last September.
- However, Paraguay have never beaten Brazil in an away World Cup qualifier.
- Raphinha has five goals in this qualifying campaign, only Lionel Messi and Luis Diaz have scored more in the CONMEBOL qualifiers.
