Brazil edge Ecuador as Rodrygo strike ends winless World Cup qualifying run
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Rodrygo scored the winning goal in the first half as Brazil defeated Ecuador 1-0 in Curitiba to end a four-game winless streak in World Cup 2026 qualifying.
The 23-year-old Real Madrid swinger scored with a shot from outside the box in the 30th minute, which was deflected by a defender and went in off the right-hand post. Victory boosted the Seleçao’s qualifying campaign after they had lost to Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina at the end of 2023 after a 1-1 home draw with Venezuela.
Seeking an early goal to settle their nerves, the hosts almost got it when Vinícius Júnior closed down keeper Hernán Galíndez, whose clearance ricocheted off the forward and into the side netting. After Rodrygo’s opener, Moisés Caicedo was denied a leveller, first by Alisson’s save and then by Gabriel Magalhães, who cleared his follow-up shot off the line.
