World Cup

Luis Diaz scores twice as Colombia beat Brazil, Uruguay end Argentina unbeaten run

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 17 November 2023

Luis Diaz scores twice in front of his recently-released father to inspire Colombia to a famous 2-1 win over Brazil, while Uruguay end Argentina's long unbeaten run.

Luis Diaz scored twice with his father in attendance as Colombia produced a famous comeback victory over Brazil in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.

The Liverpool forward had just days earlier been reunited with his father Luis Manuel Diaz, who was kidnapped and held hostage by rebels for 12 days before being released one week ago.

Diaz Snr was in the stands to watch on as his son scored two headed goals in the space of just four minutes to complete the turnaround in Barranquilla.

Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli had earlier opened the scoring with his first international goal for Brazil, who then lost Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior to injury later in the first half.

However, Diaz equalised in the 75th minute before scoring past Liverpool teammate Alisson Becker again just four minutes later to seal Colombia's first World Cup qualifying victory over Brazil in their last 15 attempts.

Another Liverpool player was on the scoresheet in the night's other big World Cup qualifier, with Darwin Nunez netting the second as Uruguay stunned bitter rivals Argentina in Buenos Aires.

Uruguay's Ronald Araujo celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates on November 17, 2023 © Reuters

The world champions went into the match having won each of their previous 14 outings, stretching back to their defeat to Saudi Arabia in their World Cup opener in Qatar last year.

Lionel Scaloni's side had also kept eight successive clean sheets going into the game, but that run came to an end when Barcelona's Ronald Araujo fired past Emiliano Martinez just before half time - the first goal Argentina had conceded since the World Cup final against France.

Lionel Messi came close to an equaliser when a trademark free kick clipped the top of the crossbar, but he was forced to settle for a first scoreless game for his country when playing since the World Cup group stage victory over Poland.

Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay side wrapped up the famous win late on when Nunez raced clear and kept his composure to slide the ball under Martinez, ending Argentina's perfect qualifying start.

Elsewhere in South American qualifying, Chile and Paraguay both had a man sent off in a goalless draw, Venezuela and Ecuador also ended scoreless and Bolivia beat Peru 2-0 courtesy of goals from Henry Vaca and Ramiro Vaca.

The results leave Argentina still top of the pile, with Uruguay now second, Colombia third and Brazil down in fifth, also behind Venezuela, who remain well-placed to end their unwanted record of being the only South American nation to have never qualified for a World Cup.