Uruguay National Football Team vs Brazil National Football Team Timeline

In every country we can see craze for different types of sports. Like in India and in some Asian countries there is a huge craze for cricket. Meanwhile in other parts of the world the craze of football is worth seeing. Today through this article we will talk about the Uruguay national football team vs Brazil national football team timeline along with several topics. So let us dive into the world of football while talking about Uruguay and Brazil football matches.

Uruguay and Brazil Rivalry 

The rivalry between the Uruguay and Brazil national football teams is also know as El Clásico del Río Negro or Clássico do Rio Negro. This rivalry is one of the most intense and storied in international football. Brazil is larger in size and population. There are over 210 million people in Brazil whereas Uruguay has around only 3.5 million despite that Uruguay national football team vs Brazil national football team timeline amazingly on the football field. Their rivalry always led to a fierce competition between these two nations.

After the 1950 FIFA World Cup the rivalry of these two nations gained legendary status. This was the time where Uruguay delivered a shocking upset against Brazil in the final match. It was a game that came to be know as the Maracanazo. Uruguay’s 2-1 victory at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro stunned the Brazilian crowd. Through this match Uruand left a lasting impact on the nation’s football history. The defeat was so devastating for Brazilians that it became a national trauma. There were even some fans who chose to end their lives in despair.

While Brazil has since established itself as a football powerhouse with five World Cup titles which is most by any nation Uruguay’s victory in 1950 remains a point of pride for their fans. Whenever the two teams face off, particularly at the Maracanã, where Brazilian fans fear a repeat of the 1950 heartbreak.

Despite their historical rivalry, Brazil has generally been the more dominant team in head-to-head encounters and international tournaments, except in the regional Copa América, where Uruguay has often had the upper hand. The rivalry has continued to evolve over the years in these two teams. Their matches produced memorable matches that contribute to the tension and excitement whenever they meet on the pitch.

Historical Background of the Rivalry

Early Encounters

The rivalry between the Uruguay and Brazil football teams began in 1916. In 1916 these two teams played their first official match. The match was played during the inaugural South American Championship. This match was won by Uruguay. This initial victory set a strong competitive tone for future encounters between the two countries. The win established Uruguay as a major force in football and gave a new direction to their rivalry with Brazil.

Maracanazo

Uruguay defeated Brazil in the final match of the 1950 FIFA World Cup, which is consider one of the biggest upsets in football history. The match is know as the “Maracanazo” because it was play at the Maracana Stadium in Brazil. Brazil suffered this defeat at home, which shocked the entire country. The loss left a deep impact on Brazilian football culture and the match remains a bitter memory in Brazilian football history. The impact of the “Maracanazo” was so profound that the event is still remembere in every match between Brazil and Uruguay, further cementing the roots of the rivalry.

Uruguay National Football Team vs Brazil National Football Team Timeline

We will look at Uruguay National Football Team vs Brazil National Football Team Timeline by including key matches below:

First match

The First Offical match Uruguay and Brazil match against each other in 1916. Uruguay won 2–1 and won the tournament title. Uruguay achieve this victory after a 0–0 draw with Argentina. Brazil, on the other hand, finished third in the tournament.

1920 South American Championship

In the 1920 South American Championship, Brazil suffered the biggest defeat in its history. On 18 September 1920, Uruguay defeated Brazil 6–0 in a match played at the Estadio Valparaíso Sporting Club in Viña del Mar, Chile. This defeat was considere Brazil’s worst defeat until Germany defeat Brazil 7–1 in the Mineiraço match in 2014.

Copa Rio Branco

Between 1931 and 1976, Uruguay and Brazil played 10 matches under the Copa Rio Branco tournament. This tournament was organize to decide which team was the better team at the time. Brazil won the first two editions, played in Rio de Janeiro in 1931 and Montevideo in 1932. From then until 1976 all editions were play over two legs, with 3 points award for a win and 1 point for a draw. Goal difference was not taken into account. Under this rule, in 1967 both teams shared the trophy after tying in the first two competitions.

1950 FIFA World Cup

The 1950 FIFA World Cup Final between Brazil and Uruguay is consider the most famous match played and one of the biggest rivalries between the two teams. Brazil had performed brilliantly in their first group stage, beating every team except Switzerland, against whom they drew 2-2. Uruguay, on the other hand, played only one match in the entire tournament, as France withdrew from the tournament. Uruguay qualified for the final round by defeating Bolivia 8-0.

Before the final match, Brazil had defeated Sweden 7-1 and Spain 6-1, while Uruguay drew 2-2 with Spain and defeated Sweden 3-2. Because of this, Brazilians had already started celebrating their victory. Many Brazilian newspapers had already announced Brazil’s victory, and people were preparing for the celebration in the streets. On the other hand, Uruguay captain Obdulio Varela had prepared his team for a winning strategy in the match.

Brazil only needed a draw in the match, but in the 79th minute Uruguayan player Alcides Geigea scored past Brazilian goalkeeper Barbosa to win 2–1. The goal caused the entire stadium to go silent, and Brazilian fans were heartbroken after the final whistle. People started blaming Barbosa for the loss and he was also not allowed to join or commentate in any subsequent matches.

Geigea who was part of the Uruguayan team said that “only three people have ever silenced the Maracana” according to him they were Frank Sinatra, Pope John Paul II, and himself.

1970 FIFA World Cup

In the 1970 FIFA World Cup, Uruguay and Brazil faced each other once again. They faced each other again in the semi-finals. This encounter was also special because it took place exactly 20 years and 1 day after Brazil was defeated in the 1950 final. Brazil were looking to take revenge from Uruguay in this match, but again it was Uruguayan who raised the heartbeat of fans again when Luis Cubilla scored in the 19th minute. That goal gives  the lead and that lead makes it look like history would repeat itself.

However, Clodoaldo leveled the score at 1-1 before the end of the first half. In the second half Brazil team players Jairzinho and Rivelino scored two goals. These two goals totally turned the game in Brazil’s favor. Firstly Brazil’s team was lacking in the starting of the match but in the second half  the game totally changed. Pele also played a memorable trick in the history of football. He fooled Uruguay’s goalkeeper Ladislao Mazurkevich. He received a pass from Tostao and tried to score a goal without even touching the ball. However, his shot went out near the goalpost.

The game ended with Brazil lead and victory and after this victory, Brazil won the World Cup by defeating Italy 4-1 in the final.

1976 Taça do Atlântico

On 28 April 1976, Brazil and Uruguay played a match during the Taça do Atlântico tournament. That match became notorious for its violence. It was an exhibition match, but the game was far from friendly from the start. In the first half, Brazilian player Marco Antonio was tackled hard by Uruguay’s Darío Pereyra and Hebert Reveretria. This hard tackle infuriated Rivelino and he pulled Pereyra’s hair.

A few minutes later, Manuel Keoseyan made another dangerous tackle on Rivelino. Now this tackle led to Keoseyan being sent off with a red card. Zico then converted a penalty. Rivelino was so angered by the tackle, so he chased Keoseyan and elbowed Atilio Ramírez. Rivelino and Ramírez then chased each other and argued throughout the match. Eventually, the noisy argument turned into a major dispute, in the dispute players of both teams were involved.

Brazil won this tense match with a 2-1 score. In this match Jorge Torres scored Uruguay’s only goal. However, the argument continued after the match and the match is still remembered as one of the most violent confrontations between them.

1983 Copa América Final

The 1983 Copa América took place in all 10 CONMEBOL countries. This match was the third and last time the tournament was held this way. All group and knockout stage matches were played in two legs. Uruguay and Brazil reached the final, with the first leg in Uruguay. Uruguay won 2–0 in Montevideo.

In the second leg, Carlos Aguilera scored the equalizer, leading to a 3–1 aggregate win for Uruguay. This victory gave Uruguay their 12th Copa América title.

1989 Copa América

In 1989, Brazil and Uruguay met once again in the final group stage match of the international tournament. The match between Brazil and Uruguay was played at the Maracanã Stadium in Brazil. Uruguay was seeking their third consecutive Copa América title. On the other hand Brazil were seeking their first Copa América title in 40 years. They were also looking to get overcome from their 1950 loss. In the 49th minute of the match, Romário scored the only goal of the game. This goal by a Brazilian player helped Brazil to get victory and put the 1950 experience behind them.

1994 FIFA World Cup Qualifier

During the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Venezuela were in the same group. Only the top two teams would move on to the tournament. In their first match, Uruguay managed to secure a 1–1 draw with Brazil. Daniel Fonseca’s last minute goal in Montevideo changed the result of the match.

The second match was played on 19 September 1993 at the Maracana Stadium. The atmosphere of the match was extremely tense. There were no goals in the first half, but in the 72nd minute, Romario scored his first goal for Brazil after 5 years, giving Brazil a 1–0 lead. Ten minutes later, Romario scored another goal to give Brazil a 2–0 win.

Uruguay missed out on qualification by just one point, as the match between Bolivia and Ecuador ended in a draw. At the World Cup, Romario performed brilliantly and played a key role in helping Brazil win their fourth World Cup title.

1999 Copa America Final

In the 1999 Copa America, Brazil and Uruguay met again in the final. This time, Brazil won comfortably by 3-0. Rivaldo scored two goals in the first half and Ronaldo scored with a spectacular volley at the start of the second half. The win gave Brazil their 6th Copa America trophy, and it was the first time they won the title twice in a row.

2002 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

On 1 July 2001, Brazil and Uruguay played a crucial World Cup qualifier match, which took place at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo. The only goal of the match was score by Federico Magallanes. This goal came through the penalty in the 33rd minute. Brazil created many chances, but could not score. This was Luiz Felipe Scolari’s first match with the national team. He said that Rivaldo should have scored in the 85th minute. However, Uruguay goalkeeper Fabian Carini had caught the ball in his own goal. Although referee Hugh Dallas did not consider it a goal. The match affected Brazil’s qualification, but Brazil finished third in the qualification table, and Uruguay finished fifth. This forced Uruguay to play a two-match play-off against Australia, which they won 3–1. Uruguay were eliminate in the group stage, while Brazil won the tournament, and Ronaldo score two goals in the final against Germany.

2004 Copa América

In 2004, Uruguay and Brazil met again in the semi-finals of the Copa América in Peru. Uruguay took the lead early in the game. The first goal came when Javier Delgado’s free kick reached Marcelo Sosa and he scored with a diving header.

Brazil soon equalized early in the second half. Brazilian player Luis Fabiano passed to Adrián, and Adrián scored. The score remained 1–1 until the end of the match, therefore the game went to a penalty shootout. The penalty decided Brazil’s victory with a score 5–3 with that score Brazil got into the final.

2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifier

In one of the opening matches of the 2006 World Cup qualification, Uruguay and World Cup champions Brazil faced off. The match was play in Brazil and is consider a classic match. In the first half, Kaka and Ronaldo scored goals, giving Brazil a 2-0 lead.

In the second half, Diego Forlan scored a goal in the 57th minute. This goal by him made the score 2-1. In the 76th minute, Forlan scored again now the score was 2-2 after his second goal. Two minutes later, Gilberto Silva tried to clear the ball with his head, but the ball went over the goalkeeper to give Uruguay a 3-2 lead. Finally, Ronaldo scored in the last minute to make the score 3-3 and save Brazil from losing in the World Cup qualifiers at home.

2013 FIFA Confederations Cup

In the semi-finals of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, Uruguay and Brazil again faced each other. This was the first time the two teams met in an official FIFA tournament after the 1970 official game. Brazil was hosting the 2014 World Cup at the time. On the other hand Uruguay had won the 2011 Copa América.

In the 13th minute of the match, Brazil defender David Luiz brought down Uruguayan player Diego Lugano inside the box. That incident gave Uruguay a penalty. But Uruguay player Forlan fail as his shot was save by Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar. In the 41st minute, Brazil took the lead with a goal from Fred. 

Third minute of the second half, Edinson Cavani scored to tie the game for Uruguay. In the final minute, Paulinho scored for Brazil, giving them a 2–1 victory and sending them to the Confederations Cup final for the third consecutive time.

Modern-Day Encounter (2024 Copa América Quarterfinals)

Uruguay and Brazil played against each other in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Copa America. Uruguay had a strong tournament, while Brazil struggle because key players Neymar and Richarlison were injure.

The match was very close. In the 74th minute, Uruguayan player Naitan Nandez was give a red card for a tough tackle on Brazil’s Rodrigo. Even with one player down, Uruguay managed to stop Brazil from scoring, and the game ended 0–0. The game went to a penalty shootout. The penalty shoot of that match finally decided the game. Manuel Ugarte from Uruguay scored the winning penalty. This sent Uruguay to the semifinals but the Brazil chances were vanish by this penalty shootout.

Matches Overview of Uruguay and Brazil

Below we have given the matches overview of Uruguay and Brazil in table format:

Head-to-Head Statistics

Titles Overview

Senior/Official

Friendly

Youth

Women

Club

Finals Between Clubs

Meeting Overview

• First Meeting: Uruguay 2–1 Brazil
  (1916 Copa América, Argentina, 12 July 1916)
• Latest Meeting: Uruguay 0–0 (4–2 p) Brazil
  (2024 Copa América, Las Vegas, 6 July 2024)
• Next Meeting: Brazil vs Uruguay
  (FIFA World Cup qualification, Brazil, 19 November 2024)

Statistics

• Total Meetings: 80
• Most Wins: Brazil (38)
• All-Time Series:
  • Brazil: 38
  • Draw: 21
  • Uruguay: 21
• Largest Victory: Uruguay 6–0 Brazil
  (1920 Copa América, Chile, 18 September 1920)

Impact on football culture

The matches between Brazil and Uruguay have had a big impact on football in both countries. After losing the 1950 World Cup, Brazilians have been especially wary of Uruguay. Whenever Brazil plays against Uruguay, they are remind of that loss.

For Uruguay, winning against Brazil has been a point of pride. The 1950 victory gave Uruguay a strong football identity. Uruguay national football team vs Brazil national football team timeline of this past defeat.

Overall, these matches have greatly shaped football and football culture in both countries.

Conclusion

In this article, we discuss the rivalry between Uruguay and Brazil football teams and their major clashes. We look at the Uruguay national football team vs Brazil national football team timeline. We also highlight the impact these matches have had on the football culture of both countries. The match between Uruguay and Brazil shows the depth and competitiveness of this game.

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