SAO PAULO (AP) — A last-minute goal by Vinicius Júnior secured Brazil’s 2-1 win over Colombia in World Cup qualifying on Thursday, helping his team and millions of fans avoid more disappointment.
A draw would have seen Brazil slump to sixth in the South American standings. Instead, Brazil moved to second spot behind Argentina after Vinicius Júnior’s long-range goal.
Click to Gallery
Peru's Paolo Guerrero, right, and Bolivia's Efrain Morales vie for the ball during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match in Lima, Peru, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
Paraguay's Omar Alderete, center, is congratulated by teammates after scoring his side's opening goal against Chile during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Defensores del Chaco Stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Nolberto Duarte)
Brazil's Raphinha celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal against Colombia from the penalty spot during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
Colombia's Luis Diaz, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's opening goal against Brazil during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, March 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
Brazil's Vinicius Junior falls during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Colombia at Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
Brazil's Vinicius Junior celebrates after scoring his side's second goal against Colombia during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
The top six teams in South America are guaranteed spots at next year’s World Cup in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, and so the victory released some pressure on Brazil coach Dorival Júnior ahead of next week's game against Argentina. The five-time champions have never missed a World Cup.
Lionel Scaloni's Argentina squad has 25 points after 12 games — four points clear of Brazil (21 points from 13 games) — and is close to securing its place in the 2026 World Cup.
Argentina will be without Lionel Messi when it plays at Uruguay on Friday, four days before its scheduled showdown with Brazil. The last time the two South American powerhouses met, Argentina won 1-0 at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro in 2023.
Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimarães and defender Gabriel Magalhães were booked against Colombia and will miss the match in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.
Goalkeeper Alisson and Colombian defender Davinson Sánchez were substituted in the concussion protocol, and will also miss the next match in World Cup qualifying.
Colombia will play host to Paraguay next week.
Brazil appeared more energized than in previous games, with speed, high skill and an early goal from the spot suggesting that coach Dorival Júnior had found a starting lineup to get the job done.
But then a defensive mistake put it all at risk for the hosts in Brasilia until a moment of brilliance by Vinicius Júnior.
Raphinha scored in the 6th minute after Vinicius Júnior was fouled in the penalty box. After that, Brazil kept possession, but didn't put on real pressure to add a second in front of 70,000 fans.
Colombia equalized with a crossed shot by Luis Diaz in the 41st, assisted by James Rodríguez. The visitors got the ball at the edge of Brazil's box from substitute Joeliton, who replaced injured Gerson.
Both teams struggled with accuracy in the second half until Vinicius Júnior took a shot from long distance which deflected off Jefferson Lerma and beat goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
“This was very important, we deserved to win. I deserved this goal too for all I have worked for,” Vinicius Júnior said of his first goal in this qualifying tournament. “It was a bit of relief, a bit of happiness.”
Brazil coach Dorival Júnior said the win was key “because of our moment, our situation and for our process.”
“We're feeling now that we are on a path. It's not all ideal, but we will be improving every round."
Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo was upset with the result.
“We had a great match again and we leave with nothing,” Lorenzo said. “We deserved more, once again.” Colombia is in 6th place with 19 points.
Paraguay remained unbeaten under coach Gustavo Alfaro with a tense 1-0 win over Chile in front of raucous fans in Asuncion. The hosts dominated most of the match and maintained pressure on their rivals, who could barely create scoring opportunities.
Omar Alderete scored the winner on the hour with a classic Paraguayan strategy: a set piece led to two headers that enabled Alderete to shoot from close range. It boosted Paraguay's chances of qualifying for the World Cup.
Paraguay has 20 points and is fourth in the standings. Chile, with nine points, is last in the round-robin competition.
Also on Thursday, Peru beat Bolivia 3-1. Andy Polo scored in the 37th minute, Paolo Guerrero added a second in the 45th and Edison Flores finished it off in 82nd. Miguel Terceros netted Bolivia's goal from the spot in the 58th minute.
Bolivia remains in seventh place with 13 points, which keeps the team in contention for inter-continental playoffs for World Cup spots. Peru has 10 points and is in ninth place.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Peru's Paolo Guerrero, right, and Bolivia's Efrain Morales vie for the ball during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match in Lima, Peru, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
Paraguay's Omar Alderete, center, is congratulated by teammates after scoring his side's opening goal against Chile during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Defensores del Chaco Stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Nolberto Duarte)
Brazil's Raphinha celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal against Colombia from the penalty spot during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
Colombia's Luis Diaz, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's opening goal against Brazil during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, March 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
Brazil's Vinicius Junior falls during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Colombia at Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
Brazil's Vinicius Junior celebrates after scoring his side's second goal against Colombia during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match at Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
ISTANBUL (AP) — Hundreds of supporters gathered in front of an Istanbul courthouse on Saturday, where detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu faced further questioning over allegations of corruption and terror links. His arrest this week intensified political tensions and sparked widespread protests across Turkey, with demonstrators rallying in multiple cities to voice their opposition.
Police questioned Imamoglu for around five hours on Saturday as part of an investigation into allegations of aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, the Cumhuriyet newspaper reported. A day earlier he was questioned for four hours over the corruption accusations. The mayor rejected all charges during both interrogations.
He was later transferred to a courthouse for questioning by prosecutors along with some 90 other people who were also detained with him.
The authorities barred access to the courthouse using barricades on local roads and closing nearby metro stations. Hundreds of police officers and over a dozen water cannon trucks were deployed. Still, hundreds gathered in front of the building shouting: “Rights, law, justice!”
Crowds also began to rally outside the city hall for a fourth night in a show of support to the mayor.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya posted on social media that 343 suspects had been detained in protests in major cities on Friday night, adding “There will be no tolerance for those who seek to violate societal order, threaten the people’s peace and security, and pursue chaos and provocation.” The cities listed included Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Antalya, Canakkale, Eskisehir, Konya and Edirne.
Imamoglu, who is a popular opposition figure and seen as a top challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained on Wednesday following a dawn raid on his residence over allegations of financial crimes and links to Kurdish militants. Dozens of other prominent figures, including two district mayors, were also detained.
Many view the arrest as a politically driven attempt to remove a popular opposition figure and key challenger to Erdogan in the next presidential race, currently scheduled for 2028. Government officials reject accusations that legal actions against opposition figures are politically motivated and insist that Turkey’s courts operate independently.
His arrest has ignited protests that have steadily increased in intensity.
On Friday, police in Istanbul used pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets to push back hundreds of protesters who tried to break through a barricade in front of the city’s historic aqueduct while hurling flares, stones and other objects at officers. Police also dispersed groups that had rallied outside of the city hall for a third night running, after the opposition Republican People’s Party leader, Ozgur Ozel, delivered a speech in support of the mayor.
Simultaneously, police broke up demonstrations in Ankara, the capital, as well as in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir, resorting to forceful measures at times, according to television images. Thousands marched in several other cities calling on the government to resign.
Earlier, Erdogan said the government would not tolerate street protests and accused the opposition party of links to corruption and terror organizations.
The Istanbul governor's office announced it was expanding a ban on demonstrations until March 26 and imposed restrictions on the entry and exit of vehicles deemed to be transporting people “likely to participate in unlawful activities.”
Erdogan on Saturday accused the CHP’s leadership of turning the party “into an apparatus to absolve a handful of municipal robbers who have become blinded by money.”
He also accused it of “doing everything to disturb the public peace, to polarize the nation.”
Imamoglu’s arrest came just days before he was expected to be nominated as the opposition Republican People’s Party’s presidential candidate in a primary on Sunday. Ozel has said that the primary, where around 1.5 million delegates can vote, will go ahead as planned.
The opposition party has also urged citizens to participate in a symbolic election on Sunday — through improvised ballot boxes to be set up across Turkey — to show solidarity with Imamoglu.
In a tweet posted shortly before his arrival at the courthouse, Imamoglu urged the public to safeguard the ballot boxes for Sunday’s primary, “Don’t forget: they are very afraid of you and your democratic right to vote.”
In an earlier message, Imamoglu described his arrest as a “coup" and accused the government of exploiting the judiciary and worsening the country’s troubled economy.
A Protester shouts slogan during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, outside Caglayan courthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Protesters shout slogans as they protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, outside Caglayan courthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Policemen stand guard next to a police bus carrying Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and other arrested to Caglayan courthouse, as protesters protest against their arrest, outside Caglayan courthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Protesters shout slogans as they protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, outside Caglayan courthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Protesters shout slogans as they protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Protesters shout slogans during clashes with anti riot police during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Police officers use pepper spray during clashes with people as they protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A policeman uses an anti riot rifle to disperse people during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
A man with the Turkish flag on his back stands in front of anti riot police officers during clashes in a rally against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Protesters run during clashes with anti riot police while protesting against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
A man holds a metal board during clashes with police during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Protesters shout slogans during clashes with anti riot police during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
People light flares as they protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A man, a Turkish flag draped on his back, stands in front of anti riot police officers during clashes in a rally against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
