Brazil have won back-to-back competitive matches for the first time in over a year, having followed their 2-1 win in Chile last week with a 4-1 victory over Peru on Tuesday.

The hosts did have an initial scare though, with Edison Flores breaking clear to slot the ball past Ederson after 12 minutes, though the flag was immediately raised for offside.

Raphinha then hammered against the crossbar in the 24th minute, before putting his team a goal ahead from the penalty spot in the 38th minute - six minutes after the kick was initially awarded for handball against Carlos Zambrano, following a lengthy VAR review.

The Barcelona man then killed the game as a contest by scoring a second penalty nine minutes into the second half, also conceded by Zambrano.

Brazil continued to dominate before a spectacular 71st-minute volley from Andreas Pereira made their lead more comfortable. Luiz Henrique then added another three minutes later with a neat curling effort from the edge of the box.

Data Debrief: Brazil on the way back

Brazil have won back-to-back competitive matches for the first time since September 2023.

While they trail CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying leaders Argentina by six points, they have opened five-point gap to eighth-placed Venezuela in the first elimination spot.

But with another eight matches to come, including fixtures against Venezuela and Uruguay in November's international break, they will need to maintain their improved form.

Carlo Ancelotti's player management can turn Real Madrid's Endrick into a "great player", according to Brazil's World Cup winners Dida and Cafu. 

Endrick arrived in the Spanish capital from Palmeiras in July in a deal reportedly worth €60million, signing a six-year deal with the 15-time Champions League winners.

The 17-year-old has scored two goals in nine appearances across all competitions this season, though he has only featured for 107 minutes across those games. 

But Ancelotti has shown his faith in young players during his tenure with Los Blancos, with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo all developing under his stewardship. 

Cafu, who made 119 appearances for Milan under Ancelotti, believes Endrick has the right man to guide him through the early stages of his promising career. 

"Ancelotti is a great coach, and he is really good at developing young players," Cafu told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy.

"He's really good at managing them, he understands them and knows when it's the right time for them to play or when they need to stay on the bench.

"For someone like him he will be like a father who will give the right advice."

It was a sentiment echoed by Cafu's former Milan team-mate Dida, who hopes he can become an important player for Brazil ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

"We all know Carlo [Ancelotti], he knows how to manage all the champions," Dida added. 

"He knows how to make these kids grow even if they are already in an important team.

"And that is certainly something very nice for [Endrick], we hope he does well because he is a Brazilian who will surely do well with the [Brazil] national team.

"I hope that our national team always works with this type of players and we hope that Carlo, as always, does his job."

Endrick was picked for the Brazil national team for the first time in November 2023, becoming the youngest male player to secure a senior call-up since Ronaldo Nazario in 1994.

He netted his first goal for his national side in a 1-0 win over England at Wembley back in March this year, scoring again three days later in an entertaining draw with Spain.

Endrick was also part of Dorival Junior's squad for the Copa America.

After three substitute appearances in the group stage, he made his first start for Brazil, replacing Vinícius who was suspended for their quarter-final against Uruguay. 

However, he struggled during the contest, completing just one pass during the match, from kick-off, as they crashed out on penalties to Marcelo Bielsa's side. 

Though showing only glimpses of what he can become, Cafu believes the sky is the limit for Endrick. 

"Endrick can become a great player. He's young and has enormous potential and can grow a lot," Cafu concluded. "With Ancelotti as a manager, I'm sure he can become a top player."

Dorival Junior expects to see Brazil qualify for the 2026 World Cup following their 2-1 victory over Chile, despite inconsistent form so far.

The Selecao had lost four of their previous five qualifiers before winning this one, which had left them in fifth in the CONMEBOL table but perilously close to dropping out of the top eight.

The three points they earned in Chile saw them move up fourth, but there is still just a three-point gap between themselves and eighth-placed Paraguay, who beat Brazil 1-0 in the previous international break.

Given their recent form, a win in Chile was a welcome relief for Dorival despite a lacklustre performance.

"We are moving step-by-step, with a lot to fix, but little by little finding the way," Dorival said after the game.

"I'm happy to see the team's maturity, even though they're very young. We had balance and tranquility."

Should Brazil fail to qualify for the World Cup, it be the first time in history that they would have been absent from the competition.

Given that it would come after it has been expanded from 32 to 48 teams, giving CONMEBOL a further two qualification spots, would only add to the embarrassment.

But Dorival wanted to make it clear that he has faced selection issues over the course of this campaign.

Of the starters in Chile, only four players - Danilo, Marquinhos, Lucas Paqueta and Raphinha - started in the 2022 World Cup, while Alisson, Eder Militao and Vinicius Junior were all injured.

"A [team] renewal is not simple," Dorival said. 

"We don't have the structure that was set up for the previous World Cup and this ends up making the games even more difficult due to the balance between the youth of these boys and the experience of others that are there.

"We only had four players that finished the last match of the World Cup and that has considerable weight."

Despite the difficulties that both he and the team have faced, Dorival is of the belief that they will make it to the United States, Canada and Mexico in two years.

"We will arrive with a strong team in two years, but we will face some difficulties," he said.

Brazil defender Marquinhos came down on his coach's side when asked to give his thoughts after the match.

"Seeking changes is beside the point," he said. "I'm happy with Dorival, with the work he's been doing."

Dorival has been in the job for less than a year, having only been appointed as Brazil's head coach in January, though the Selecao also failed to impress at this year's Copa America.

The need for patience was something that Marquinhos was quick to point out.

"It's not easy, you have to give him time to understand the group he has in hand and use the pieces," he added.

"We showed that we have quality, many good players. We know the coach's ability, what a great professional and person he is.

"We are fully focused on seeking to improve and grow as a group and team."

Brazil fought back from a goal down to score an 89th-minute winner that completed a 2-1 comeback win over Chile.

The hosts went ahead in the second minute of Thursday's World Cup qualifier in Santiago when a looping header from Eduardo Vargas went past Ederson in goal, although it was an effort that should arguably have been saved.

While Chile had chances to extend their lead and had claims for a penalty in the first half, Brazil equalised in stoppage time through a close-range header from Igor Jesus.

The Selecao controlled much of the second half as they went in search of a winner, and they were able to find it a minute from time. Botafogo winger Luiz Henrique cut in from the right and bent a shot past the goalkeeper to earn his country three points.

It is a victory that moves Brazil up a place to fourth in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table, while Chile remain second-bottom, seven points behind an automatic qualification spot.

That they were able to get the result without some key players - Alisson, Eder Militao and Vinicius Junior are all injured - will have pleased coach Dorival Junior, for whom the result will ease some of the pressure.

Data debrief: Plenty to improve for Brazil

Prior to their victory in Chile, Brazil had been on a run of four defeats in five matches in World Cup qualifying.

This result leaves them three points ahead of eighth-placed Paraguay, who occupy the final elimination slot and beat Brazil 1-0 in the previous matchday.

Although Brazil found a way to win, this was the sixth qualifier in eight that they registered three shots on target or fewer.

Given that they have also conceded the second-most goals (nine) within the top eight, there is clearly still work to do from Dorival to get them performing at a higher level.

Eder Militao will miss Brazil's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Peru due to a thigh injury.

The defender, who also missed September's fixtures due to a leg injury, first felt some discomfort against Atletico Madrid on September 29.

Though he has featured for Real Madrid since, he flew out to Sao Paulo to undergo checks on the issue, where the national team confirmed the extent of the injury.

"[Militao] underwent tests this Sunday... which revealed a minor muscle injury in his left thigh that will prevent him from playing," the CBF said in a statement.

He is the second Madrid player to pull out of the Brazil squad, with Vinicius Junior also unfit to play after suffering a neck injury.

Brazil sit fifth in South America's qualification table after eight matches, with 10 points. 

Brazil head coach Dorival Junior called for Neymar to be given as much time as he needs to make a full recovery from a knee injury before returning to the national side. 

Neymar ruptured his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while on international duty last October in a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay, missing the Copa America as a result.

The 32-year-old underwent surgery and returned to training with Al-Hilal in July, but he is yet to make his comeback, with head coach Jorge Jesus saying this week the Brazilian was not ready. 

Neymar is Brazil's all-time top scorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances and is 15 caps shy of breaking Cafu's record for the most outings for the Selecao. 

But the forward is again missing from the Brazil squad for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Peru next month, with Dorival saying he will wait until the right moment to welcome Neymar back into the fold. 

"We'll wait, we'll be patient, it doesn't matter if he can't come back in October, November or even February," Dorival said. 

"He needs to be confident, he needs to play and above all he needs to be completely healed from this injury.

"We are starting to realise how important he is.

"If he returns in the coming years, we will have one of the greatest players in world football at a remarkable moment in his career and in our national team."

Dorival recalled Barcelona winger Raphinha and Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli for their upcoming fixtures next month. 

Real Madrid trio Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Endrick were the other attacking options included for the five-time world champions.

Brazil have 10 points from eight qualifiers after losing four of their last five matches, leaving them fifth and just one point above Paraguay, who occupy the play-off spot.

Jamaica’s Valentino Evans reached the Round of 16 of both the U-14 Kata Male and U14 Kumite Male at the 2024 Pan American Karate Foundation (PKF) Cadet, Junior and U21 Championships held from August 26 to September 1 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Evans was beaten by Chilean Joaquin Ballestero in the Kata category before losing to Brazil’s Arthur Galante in the Kumite Male -40kg category.

The youngster won two medals at the Caribbean Karate Championships in Curacao in July.

He took bronze in the 12-13 Kata before going two better with gold in the 12-13 Kumite, his second straight Kumite gold after winning it in the 10-11 section at the 2023 Caribbean karate Championships in Santo Domingo.

He also won Kata silver at last year’s championships.

Vinicius Junior apologised to Brazil's supporters following their defeat to Paraguay, acknowledging "it is a difficult time" for the Selecao.

The five-time world champions were beaten 1-0 in Asuncion, with Diego Gomez's 20th-minute strike condemning them to a fourth defeat in five qualifying games.

Dorival Junior's side occupy fifth place in the CONMEBOL section - in which the top six nations automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, with the team finishing seventh entering the Inter-confederation play-offs.

Already eight points adrift of leaders Argentina, Brazil are now just one ahead of eighth-place Bolivia, and Vinicius knows he and his team-mates must do better.

"We apologise to the fans, who are always on our side," the Real Madrid forward told Sportv. "But this is a difficult time, we just want to improve.

"I know my potential, I know what I can do for the national team. Of course, it's been a very difficult process, because when you don't have confidence, you don't get goals, you don't get assists and good performances.

"We know the situation we're in, we want to get Brazil out of this situation at any cost, we all have to go home now and start thinking about what we can do to get back to playing well.

"We cannot come here, lose these points and play the way we did. It is a difficult time, we must take on board all the criticism and return as quickly as possible to put Brazil on top."

Meanwhile, Marquinhos believes Brazil are going through a transitional period, and that they are not brimming with belief as a result. 

"The coach is still figuring out the best way for us to play and that's reflected in the result," the defender told Brazilian TV Globo. "There are a lot of new players, we are lacking confidence.

"Qualifying isn't easy, it's a difficult time, and we have to know how to manage it. It's a time of transition, we're not feeling confident. We're going to work hard, getting results on the pitch is the best answer."

Diego Gomez's first-half strike stunned Brazil as Paraguay earned their first triumph over the Selecao since 2008 with a 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory in Asuncion.

Dorival Junior's side, who disappointed at the Copa America, slumped to a fourth defeat from their last five qualifiers and sit fifth in the 10-team CONMEBOL qualification group.

Inter Miami's Gomez struck the decisive blow in the 20th minute, sending a stunning effort with the outside of his foot beyond Alisson Becker and in off the post.

Brazil almost found an immediate response four minutes later, only for full-back Guilherme Arana to see his effort cleared off the line in the visitors' only shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.

Following the interval, Rodrygo threatened to level the scores but could only fire over from close range, with Roberto Fernandez turning Vinicius Junior's strike around the post as the game ticked into the final knockings.

But Paraguay were able to hold firm to secure a memorable victory, leaving them seventh in the standings and just a point behind Brazil in their quest to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Data Debrief: Selecao stutter against stingy defence

Brazil rarely troubled Fernandez in the Paraguay goal, managing just three shots on target from the nine they attempted, registering an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.57.

Ballon d'Or hopeful Vinicius was credited with two of the Selecao's efforts, but struggled to make the desired impact, completing just one of his four attempted dribbles. 

Paraguay, however, remained resolute in their defending, and have now kept a clean sheet in five of their last eight World Cup qualifiers, with only Argentina (six) managing more shutouts.

Dorival Junior believes the pressure of being Brazil's main man can sometimes weigh Vinicius Junior down, just as it did Neymar in years gone by.

Brazil beat Ecuador 1-0 to end a three-match losing run in the CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Friday, though their performance was far from convincing.

Rodrygo's deflected first-half strike handed Brazil a crucial three points, yet they were indebted to goalkeeper Alisson for making a huge one-on-one save to deny Moises Caicedo on the stroke of half-time.

Having endured a torrid time at the Copa America earlier this year, Vinicius was quiet again on Friday, failing to complete any of his four dribbles and losing possession 14 times – more than any other Selecao player.

Brazil's recent performances have come in for stern criticism at home, but Dorival believes everyone connected with the national team needs to have more patience.

"We want to see players in the condition where he produces at all times, in the same way he does at his club," Dorival said of Vinicius. 

"We always have cycles within the clubs themselves, we have moments when Rodrygo will be featured over a few months, soon Vini will enter this same condition. 

"We have to be very calm. This same expectation was generated around Neymar, that at all times Neymar had to be the solution to our problems."

Neymar himself has not played for either Al-Hilal or Brazil since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament during the Selecao's 2-0 defeat to Uruguay last October.

Dorival cited his recovery as yet another area where Brazil's supporters must have more understanding. 

"If we have a little patience and receive Neymar at the moment the team is more balanced, I have no doubt he can make a very big difference with the ability he has, with those who are here," he added.

"We have to learn that these processes are lengthy and require time and patience, which we do not have in our country.

"I say again to the Brazilian fans: have a little calm, let's first regain the confidence of the Brazilian team. We have players of the highest level, who play in the biggest clubs in Europe, as well as in Brazilian football. 

"I have no doubt that we will have an aggressive team like the fans want, playing in a regular way and transmitting even greater confidence."

Brazil go to Paraguay for their next World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, having gone fourth in the 10-team group with Friday's slender victory.

A deflected first-half strike from Rodrygo handed Brazil a crucial 1-0 victory over Ecuador as they halted a three-match losing run in 2026 World Cup qualifying.

Dorival Junior's team approached Friday's game off the pace in the CONMEBOL qualification group, sitting sixth after defeats to Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina in late 2023.

They produced another disjointed performance in Curitiba and were indebted to Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, who struck the winner on the half-hour mark.

Taking Lucas Paqueta's pass on the turn 25 yards from goal, Rodrygo cut onto his right foot before seeing his effort strike William Pacho and nestle in the bottom-left corner.

Rodrygo went close to a second six minutes later but it was far from smooth sailing for the hosts, who needed a huge save from Alisson to preserve their lead on the stroke of half-time.

The Liverpool goalkeeper made himself big to deny Moises Caicedo when one-on-one in what proved to be Ecuador's best chance, as Brazil leapfrogged their opponents to go fourth in the table with 10 points from seven matches.

Data Debrief: Selecao still missing their spark

Brazil were flat and unimpressive at the Copa America, and there were few signs of the Selecao rediscovering their attacking spark here.

They enjoyed 57.4% of the possession in Friday's game but could only convert that into 10 shots tallying 0.46 expected goals (xG), to Ecuador's 0.85 xG from nine attempts.

Rodrygo and Alisson stepped up in the moments that mattered for Brazil, but performances like these will ensure even reaching the 2026 World Cup is a slog for the five-time winners. 

Real Madrid centre-back Eder Militao has left Brazil's training camp ahead of World Cup qualifiers versus Ecuador and Paraguay due to a leg injury.

Brazil have made a dismal start to their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign and sit sixth in the 10-team CONMEBOL group after six games, with two wins, one draw and three defeats.

Dorival Junior's side will have to cope without key defender Militao for the first international break of the season, after the Brazilian FA (CBF) confirmed he had suffered an injury.

"Defender Eder Militao complained of muscle pain in his right thigh after training on Wednesday and after medical exams carried out on Thursday, it was identified a small muscle injury in his right thigh," the CBF said in a statement.

"The player has been ruled out of Brazil's next two qualifying matches and the CBF expresses its solidarity with the player at this time and wishes him a speedy recovery."

Militao, who missed most of last season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, is the latest Madrid player to suffer injury problems at the start of this season.

Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and left-back Ferland Mendy both left France's camp ahead of their Nations League clashes against Italy and Belgium due to injuries sustained in Los Blancos' 2-0 win over Real Betis on Sunday.

Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos and Jude Bellingham have also suffered from injuries in the last few weeks, while David Alaba is still recovering from an ACL tear suffered last term.

Victor Wembanyama scored eight of his 18 points in overtime to ensure France edged Japan 94-90 to maintain their unbeaten start at the Paris Olympics. 

Japan looked set to cause an unlikely upset against the hosts, but Matthew Strazel's four-point play with 10 seconds of the fourth quarter remaining spared their blushes.

"The shot of his life," Wembanyama said on Strazel's shot that sent the game into overtime at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille. 

Wembanyama then took centre stage, scoring the first eight points of overtime to give France a 92-84 cushion.

Japan would battle back and got to within two points of their opponents, but the home team were able to close out the contest at the free throw line. 

Wembanyama also finished with 11 rebounds and six assists, and recalled the moment when the encounter changed in overtime. 

"The realisation, the dynamic of the game," Wembanyama said. 

"They were playing like underdogs and we were waiting for them to punch a little bit too much. I wanted to make a point and punch first in overtime. And it worked."

France remained in second place in Group B behind fellow unbeaten nation Germany, with the pair squaring off this Friday to see who will finish on top. 

Dennis Schroder starred for Germany in the final game on Tuesday, as the Brooklyn Nets point guard notched 20 points and six assists in their 86-73 win over Brazil. 

Victor Wembanyama says he "knew it was going to be a good day" after starring for France in their 78-66 victory over Brazil in Group B.

Despite a slow start by the hosts, which saw them trailing early in the second quarter, Wembanyama helped to steady their nerves in Lille.

The NBA Rookie of the Year last season came away with 19 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots as he inspired his nation in front of a sell-out crowd.

France did not fully seal the victory until late on though, with Nicolas Batum's 3-pointer putting them up by 10 with less than a minute and a half remaining before Wembanyama's dunk made sure of the points in the next possession.

"I knew it was going to be a good day," he said.

"You can't underestimate the power of the crowd, the home crowd. I think it's really going to be the sixth man for this whole tournament."

Meanwhile, team-mate Evan Fournier was quick to heap praise on the 20-year-old after the game.

"I think he did pretty damn good," he said. "He can do so many things that sometimes it's like a burden because he doesn't focus on just one thing."

France will face Japan in their second game of Group B on Tuesday before their final match against Germany.