Colombia avenged their Copa America final defeat with a 2-1 victory over Argentina while Brazil crashed to a 1-0 defeat against Paraguay in South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday.
Skipper James Rodriguez buried a nerveless 60th-minute spot-kick to seal a hard-fought win for Colombia over the reigning world champions, who were without injured captain Lionel Messi.
It was sweet revenge for Colombia, who were beaten 1-0 by Argentina in a bitterly disappointing Copa America final loss in Miami two months ago.

"I don't think I've ever scored against them -- there's a first time for everything," Colombia captain Rodriguez said of his winning spot-kick. "We want to get used to playing finals. Today was just another game, but against a team that has won everything -- this victory tastes even better."

The victory at Barranquilla's Metropolitano Stadium lifted Colombia into second place in South America's 10-team qualifying competition with 16 points from eight points, just two points behind leaders Argentina.
Despite the defeat, Argentina remain comfortably on course for a place at the 2026 World Cup which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.