Vinicius Junior endures Brazil nightmare days after Real Madrid hat-trick

Vinicius Junior endured another frustrating night for Brazil as his missed penalty allowed Venezuela to earn a surprise 1-1 draw in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

The Selecao took the lead through in-form Barcelona forward Raphinha just before the half-time interval but were immediately pegged back by Venezuela substitute Telasco Segovia.

Brazil had won their previous two World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Peru after claiming just two victories from their first six matches and were handed a golden opportunity to pick up another three points when Vinicius was felled by the onrushing Rafael Romo.

The referee initially awarded Brazil a free-kick just outside the penalty area before replays conclusively showed that contact had been made with Vinicius inside the box.

But Vinicius, who was in sensational form at the weekend as an injury-ravaged Real Madrid beat Osasuna 4-0 in La Liga, saw his weak penalty saved by Romo, with the 24-year-old also skewing the rebound wide of the post.

Vinicius had hit the post earlier on in the contest but was unable to help Brazil find a winner as his poor form on the international stage continued. The runner-up in the Ballon d'Or 2024 has only scored five goals in 36 appearances for the national team - a stark contrast to his impressive goal record for Real Madrid.

There was controversy late on in the game when Brazil, who were fully on top and pushing to find a winner, were forced to stop in their tracks after the sprinkler system at the Estadio Monumental de Maturin stadium was activated.

Brazil's players and coaching staff were incensed by the interruption, which halted their momentum and allowed Venezuela to cling on for a valuable point. The result leaves Brazil third in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table, two points behind Colombia and five behind Argentina, who slipped to a shock 2-1 defeat to Paraguay.

READ THE LATEST NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS AND MATCH REACTION