SAO PAULO (AP) — An 89th-minute goal from substitute Luiz Henrique gave Brazil a 2-1 away win over Chile in their 2026 World Cup qualifying game on Thursday.

The win meant under-pressure Brazilian coach Dorival Júnior’s side will finish the ninth round of round-robin South American qualifying competition in fourth place.

Earlier, Lionel Messi’s Argentina drew 1-1 against Venezuela in a match postponed for 30 minutes due to a wet pitch at the Monumental Stadium in the Venezuelan city of Maturín.

Argentina, which leads the 10-team competition, has 19 points after nine games. Colombia remains in second place with 16 points after losing 1-0 in Bolivia. Uruguay is in third place with 15 points and has a chance to get even more in their game against Peru on Friday. Brazil has 13 points.

Brazil is making a dramatic comeback

Chile, one of the worst-performing teams in South American qualifying, scored the first goal seconds after kick-off at the National Stadium in Santiago. Veteran striker Eduardo Vargas headed past goalkeeper Ederson, with the ball gently touching the back of the net.

Brazil struggled to create clear-cut chances but managed to equalize in stoppage time with a header from their new striker Igor Jesus, who came on as a replacement for the injured Vinicius Júnior. In the second half, the guests retained most of the ball possession, but still did not create any clear chances.

In the final minutes, Henrique decided to take advantage of his chances from the edge of the penalty area. The winning goal caused several Chilean players to fall to the ground in fear.

Brazil’s next game is against Peru in Brasilia. Chile will travel to Colombia.

“This shirt means a lot to me. It’s a great feeling for us to wear it. “We know what’s happening, but we wanted to change it,” Henrique said. “Our fans can be sure that we will always fight for this team. We are the only five-time world champions, we will play with passion.”

Dorival Júnior said his team will continue to experience ups and downs as the coach tries out new players.

“We will have a very strong team in two years,” said Júnior, alluding to the next World Cup. “But only in the dictionary does it say that success comes before work.”

Messi returns for Argentina

Defender Nicolás Otamendi scored Argentina’s first goal in the 13th minute. He pushed the ball into the empty goal after a cross from Messi and a mistake from goalkeeper Rafael Romo.

Salomón Rondón equalized with a header in the 65th minute for the only South American team to have never taken part in a World Cup.

“The pitch didn’t help us achieve what we wanted,” said Messi, who returned to the national team after missing the previous two rounds of South American qualifying because of a ligament injury in his right ankle.

Venezuelan defender Jon Aramburu said his team wanted a win to show their ambition.

“The rain affected the game, we couldn’t play well,” he said. “We played against a team whose potential everyone knows. But this team is here to beat them, to keep up with them.”

Bolivia in the clouds to beat Colombia

Colombia, the last unbeaten team in South American qualifying, suffered a shocker against Bolivia at the city’s municipal stadium of El Alto, more than 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) above sea level. Bolivia moved up to fifth place with 12 points after their first win in 21 years against the Colombians.

Miguel Terceros, also known as Miguelito, scored the winner for Bolivia in the 58th minute with a powerful shot after dribbling past two defenders.

Bolivia had lost Héctor Cuellar to a red card in the 21st minute after a cruel tackle that forced the substitution of striker Roger Martinez, but the team remained competitive until the end of the game in their lofty stadium.

“We are a young team that wants to change history,” Terceros said. “Now we travel to Argentina and think about winning.”

Bolivia has not qualified for a World Cup since the 1994 edition in the United States.

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