Brazil’s Olympic Dream Ends: Out After Loss to Argentina

Brazil’s quest for a third consecutive Olympic gold in men’s football was halted after a 1-0 loss to Argentina, preventing them from qualifying for the upcoming Paris Olympics. Despite previously securing victories in the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Brazil needed only to draw in their final match at the South American pre-Olympic tournament held in Venezuela to advance.

However, Argentina secured their spot in the Paris games, eyeing their third Olympic title following their wins in 2004 and 2008, thanks to a goal from Luciano Gondou in the second half of the game in Caracas.

Paraguay also booked their place in Paris 2024 by defeating Venezuela 2-0, with Diego Gomez converting a penalty in the 48th minute and Marcelo Perez adding another goal in the 75th minute. Under the guidance of Carlos Jara Saguier, Paraguay finished at the top of the tournament standings, ahead of Argentina.

The tournament featured under-23 players, in contrast to the Olympics, which permit teams to include three players older than the age limit. Argentina is now considering reaching out to Lionel Messi, the football superstar who played a key role in their 2008 Olympic victory, to participate in the Paris Olympics.

Javier Mascherano, Argentina’s coach and Messi’s former teammate, expressed that the decision lies with Messi but emphasized the open invitation for him to join the team, highlighting their strong bond.