Reuters, October 17, MONTEVIDEO – Tuesday’s 2026 World Cup qualifier between Uruguay and Brazil ended with goals from Darwin Nunez and Nicolas de la Cruz. Late in the first half, Neymar was pulled off the pitch due to what looked to be a significant knee injury.
With a diving header in the 42nd minute, Nunez gave Brazil the lead. Two minutes later, Neymar was taken down after a rough scuffle with De la Cruz for the ball, making things much worse for Brazil.
Clearly upset, Neymar was carried off the ground on a stretcher after a few minutes of medical attention.
According to sources close to the Brazil FA, the striker suffered a significant sprain to his left knee and will be tested to see if there was any ligament damage.
“Hopefully, it’s nothing major,” Brazil’s captain Casemiro said on Globo TV
“We really like him, and he’s a key player for us. He has a history of injuries, and every time he tries to move more quickly, he sustains another one.”
Uruguay seized the lead with the game’s first effort on goal, while Brazil dominated possession in a dull first half but had little to show for it.
After receiving a short pass, Maxi Araujo ducked under Brazil’s defender Marquinhos and crossed the ball for Nunez to score.
After the interval, Uruguay maintained their lead, and in the 77th minute, De la Cruz scored from close range to give the home team an even bigger lead. Nunez assisted the goal after winning a battle against two Brazilian players inside the box.
Uruguay had not defeated Brazil since 2001.
After going 37 games without a loss, Brazil concluded the encounter with no shots on goal and suffered their first World Cup qualifying loss since 2015.
With seven points from the win, Uruguay is now tied for second place in the CONMEBOL rankings with Brazil and Venezuela, who defeated Chile 3-0 earlier on Tuesday.
In the South American qualifiers, Paraguay won their first match, defeating bottom-seeded Bolivia 1-0 in Asuncion, while Ecuador was kept scoreless by Colombia.