Both sides qualify for the #BeachSoccer World Cup
A Canarinha win South American qualifiers for the seventh time
La Celeste back in world finals for the first time in a decade
Brazil will defend the world title they won in Bahamas two years ago after cruising to victory in the South American qualifiers for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Paraguay 2019.
The five-time world champions will be joined by Uruguay, the side they beat 10-1 in the final. Runners-up to Brazil in the group phase, La Celeste return to the global stage for the first time since 2009. Completing the podium were Paraguay, who won their group but lost to the Uruguayans in the semi-finals.
La Albirroja, who qualify automatically for the next World Cup as hosts, ended on a high noted with a 6-5 defeat of Argentina in the match for third place, a result that left La Albiceleste out the world finals for the second time in a row.
In a tournament that yielded an average of 10.11 goals per match (273 from 27), the remaining placings were as follows: Peru (fifth), Colombia (sixth), Chile (seventh), Ecuador (eighth), Bolivia (ninth) and Venezuela (tenth).
CONMEBOL Beach Soccer World Cup qualifier
Brazil’s path to Paraguay
Won all six of their matches in regulation time and by four goals or more
Goals for: 59 (9.83 per match)
Goals against: 13 (2.16 per match)
Top scorers: Rodrigo (14), Catarino (9), Lucas and Felipe (6)
Did you know?
Brazil won the title for the seventh time out of eight
Their 10-1 defeat of Uruguay is the joint-biggest in the final of the CONMEBOL qualifiers (they beat La Celeste by the same scoreline in 2009)
Latest win maintains their perfect qualifying record (ten out of ten)
Bruno Xavier, the adidas Golden Ball winner at Tahiti 2013, scored the 200th goal of his career in the final
Uruguay’s path to Paraguay
Won four of their six matches, all in regulation time
Their two defeats came against champions Brazil (scored just one goal in each game)
Goals for: 23 (3.83 per match)
Goals against: 31 (5.16 per match)
Top scorers: Gaston Laduche (6), Luis Quinta (6), Santiago Miranda (4)
Did you know?
This is the third time that Uruguay have finished runners-up
Conceded 19 goals in their two matches with Brazil, but only 12 in their other four
Beach Soccer World Cup runners-up in 2006, they will be playing their sixth world finals
Winger Matias Cabrera and current coach Miguel Aguirre are the only two survivors from the squad at Dubai 2009, Uruguay’s last world finals appearance