President of the Brazilian Football Confederation Samir Khaud criticized the referees after the national team’s defeat in the 18th round of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup against the Bolivia national team (0:1).
Getty Images— What happened here is very sad. We came to play football, but what happened had nothing to do with football. Even at an altitude of 4000 meters, we were playing against referees, the police, and ball boys who deliberately took or threw the balls away. It was a real disaster.
Of course, this is not what we expect from world and continental football. It feels like you are up against 14 people at once. I hope that CONMEBOL makes the necessary decisions. This is impossible; it’s absurd,” said Samir Khaud.
It should be added that after 18 rounds, Brazil is in a qualifying fifth position, having 28 points.
