Defending champions Brazil failed to qualify for Paris Olympics after losing to Argentina

Argentina have secured their ticket to this year’s Olympic Games by knocking over defending champions Brazil 1-0 on Sunday in the final four of the South American qualifying tournament.

Luciano Gondou headed the 77th-minute winner for Argentina Under-23.

Brazil, medal winners at the last four Olympics, have not missed the Games since 2004.

Javier Mascherano’s side required a win against their bitter rivals following draws with Venezuela and Paraguay in the round-robin qualifying stage for the 2024 Games, with only the top two teams securing berths in Paris.

Brazil have won a men’s football medal at the past four Olympics.

Argentina, who won gold in 2004 and 2008, finished the final qualifying event with five points.

Argentina’s Under-23 team finished with five points, one ahead of Paraguay, who were facing Venezuela later on Sunday. Brazil finished with three points.

Luciano Gondou’s header in the 77th minute was enough to give the victory to Argentina, gold medallists at the 2004 and 2008 Games.

“We deserved this. We didn’t lose a single match at the qualifying,” said Gondou, who scored four goals in the tournament in Venezuela. “We suffered, we waited for this goal, but at the end we got it.”

Brazil won gold at men’s soccer in the Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo Olympics.

“It is a very bad feeling, we prepared well for this,” Brazil midfielder Andrey Santos said.

“We struggled to keep the ball throughout the tournament. It didn’t go as we expected.”

Argentina won the gold at men’s soccer at the games in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, with Lionel Messi leading the team in Beijing.

Paraguay’s surprising spot in Paris came after Diego Gómez scored from the spot early in the second half and Marcelo Pérez pushed the ball with his head to an empty goal in the 75th minute after a bizarre mistake of the Venezuelan defense.

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