In a shocking twist for the football community, Brazil, the reigning champions of the last two Olympic men’s football tournaments, failed to secure a spot in the upcoming Paris Olympics set for July 26 to August 11. The Brazilian team faced a narrow defeat against their arch-rivals Argentina with a scoreline of 0-1 in the South American qualifiers held in Caracas.
Argentina, under the leadership of former international midfielder Javier Mascherano, clinched their ticket to the finals thanks to a goal from Luciano Gondo, eyeing their third Olympic title following their triumphs in 2004 and 2008.
In a parallel qualification match, Paraguay grabbed the second South American slot for the Olympics by defeating Venezuela 2-0. Paraguay, which claimed the silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, topped their group with 7 points, leaving Argentina trailing by two points and Brazil by four. Venezuela finished at the bottom with a single point.
Brazil’s exclusion from the Olympic football scene, particularly with the rising star Endrick, aged 17, in their ranks, marks a significant disappointment as the team needed only a draw to secure their Olympic berth.
This turn of events grants Argentina a golden opportunity to relive their glorious Olympic past, reminiscent of the gold medal victories in 2004 with striker Carlos Tevez and coach Marcelo Bielsa, and in 2008 with Lionel Messi leading the charge.
