Author: Soorya G
In a new announcement, CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American soccer, has revealed the detailed schedule for the third and fourth rounds of the rigorous 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. The recently announced young and vibrant Brazilian team is scheduled to challenge Venezuela in the city of Cuiabá on October 12, with an evening kick-off. Shortly afterwards, on the following Tuesday, October 17, the soccer fervor will move to Montevideo, where Brazil will face Uruguay in another night game.
BRAZIL vs. BOLIVIA – First round
DATE AND TIME: 08/09/2023, at 21h45
PLACE: Mangueirão Stadium, in Belém (PA)
PERU vs BRAZIL – Second round
DATE AND TIME: 12/09/2023, at 11pm
LOCATION: Estadio Nacional, Lima (PER)
BRAZIL vs. VENEZUELA – Third round
DATE AND TIME: 12/10/2023, at 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Cuiabá – BRA (no stadium defined)
URUGUAY vs BRAZIL – Fourth round
DATE AND TIME: 17/10/2023, at 9 p.m.
LOCATION: Montevideú – URU (no stadium defined)
Before these gripping matches, the Brazilian team is preparing for two preliminary battles. On September 8, they will face Bolivia in the football-loving city of Belém, followed by a match against Peru in Lima on September 12. Highlighting the risks of this arduous qualification journey, Conmebol emphasized that of the ten formidable South American competitors, six of them will qualify for a place at the World Cup. However, the seventh-ranked team will embark on a play-off mission, challenging an opponent that has yet to be designated by soccer’s international governing body, FIFA.
Dates and times for the 3⃣ and 4⃣ of the #SouthAmericanEliminatorias have been set! 🗓️
Days and times for rounds 3 and 4 of the Qualifiers set! ✍️#CreeEnGrande #AcrediteSempre pic.twitter.com/jh2FhmpI4o
– CONMEBOL.com (@CONMEBOL) August 23, 2023
However, the Brazilian team will be without midfielder Lucas Pacqueta, who is being investigated for possible offenses related to gambling violations. As a result, the board and the national team coach, Fernando Diniz, opted to leave him out of the investigation.
The accusations against the former Lyon player specifically concern a series of high-risk bets related to the possible receipt of yellow cards. The bets in question, which triggered the imminent investigation, allegedly originated in his home country of Brazil. With lingering suspicions about a possible connection to a betting ring, reports suggest that FIFA will also oversee the investigation.
Soccer’s governing bodies are increasingly recognizing the imminent threat of betting to the integrity of the sport. Strict rules have been formulated to prohibit players from engaging in any form of betting activity. Infringements of these rules are met with severe repercussions. A recent case involved Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who was sanctioned for breaching gambling rules on 232 occasions. Although no evidence of match-fixing or similar offenses was uncovered, the England international received an eight-month ban from competitive soccer.
Against this backdrop, the outcome of the investigation into Pacqueta continues to be a cause for expectation. The interim coach of the Brazilian national team, Fernando Diniz, has opted to dismiss the West Ham player, who wears the number 10 shirt, from the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. This decision was made to give him the time he needs to deal with the challenges he faces.
The Brazilian national team is about to embark on another World Cup qualification campaign and wants to solve some of the problems that have prevented it from emerging victorious in a tournament in which it has traditionally been a powerhouse. With five World Cup trophies to their name, the Brazilians are way ahead of the crowd in terms of titles, but they have often failed in the knockout rounds in recent editions of the tournament. As a result, the CBF would have appointed veteran coach Carlo Ancelotti as coach of the Brazilian team after the current season. Ancelotti has reportedly agreed a deal that will see him take over at the end of his contract with Real Madrid. With a proven winner like Ancelotti, fans of the Seleção will be hoping that the team returns to its usual standard in the coming years.