There has never been a FIFA World Cup on the men’s side that didn’t include the Brazil national team. At this point, it may never happen. The giants of South America punched their tickets to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Thursday night with a 1-0 win over Colombia at home. It was a tight match and scoreless through the hour mark, but Lucas Paqueta came through in the second half with a fortunate goal to earn Brazil a narrow but deserved victory. The Lyon attacker got into space and produced a solid shot, but it was one that David Ospina should have saved.
As a result, Brazil become the first team in South America to qualify, as well as the first in the Western Hemisphere. They remain the only national team to have qualified for every single World Cup.
Here’s a look at the goal, which arrived in the 72nd minute.
Brazil finished the match with 16 shots to Colombia’s five while recording 64 percent of possession, with Los Cafeteros barely creating any danger.
As for Tite’s team making yet another World Cup, they may just never miss out on one. The tournament is expanding to 48 teams for the 2026 edition, meaning more spots will be available for South American nations, essentially giving them an even better chance than they have now. They’ve proven to be a lock and staple at the tournament since 1930, and nearly 100 years later, that hasn’t changed.