Marquinhos insists Brazil's players must shoulder blame for 'embarrassing' loss to Argentina

And though coach Dorival Junior has come in for criticism, Marquinhos stressed the Selecao players must shoulder the blame.

Brazil were hammered by their fierce rivals on Tuesday, as Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Giuliano Simeone ensured Argentina celebrated qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in style.

Matheus Cunha scored for Brazil, who are fourth in the CONMEBOL qualification standings, with the top six automatically ensuring their place at next year's tournament.

"What we did here today can't happen again," Brazil captain Marquinhos told TV Globo.

"It's hard to talk about it in the heat of the moment. It's embarrassing.

"We started the game very badly, far below what we could do and they’re on a great run of confidence.

"They knew how to play smart. I'm sorry for our fans."

#Eliminatorias El fútbol es fantástico 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/8k8DLdj2me

— Selección Argentina (@Argentina) March 26, 2025

Argentina have completed the double over Brazil in a World Cup qualifying campaign for the first time, and the gulf between the old foes has only grown in the past year.

The Selecao, who had just three shots and accumulated only 0.12 expected goals, have struggled to get going under Dorival, but Marquinhos says the players must now take responsibility.

"It's not just the coach’s fault, it's the players' fault too," he added.

"There's no secret formula in football where you make a choice and it works out. We can all do better.