Brazil Draws 1-1 Against Uruguay in U-17 South American Championship Opener

São Paulo, Brazil – In a tense opening match of the U-17 South American Championship, Brazil faced Uruguay on March 28, 2025, at the Estadio Olímpico Jaime Morón León in Colombia, resulting in a 1-1 draw. Nicolás Ezequiel scored first for Uruguay before Brazil’s Ruan Pablo equalized.

The draw awarded both teams a point in Group B, while Venezuela leads the group with three points after defeating Bolivia 2-0. Ecuador is yet to play its first match in the tournament.

Brazil’s next challenge is against Bolivia on March 30 at 6:30 p.m. local time in Colombia. Uruguay will also play the same day against Ecuador at 9 p.m.

The scoring began just before halftime when Ezequiel, maneuvering through Brazil’s defense, found the net at the 47-minute mark. He skillfully cleared a defender before shooting accurately into the goal.

Brazil responded strongly in the second half, with the equalizer coming from Ruan Pablo at the 50-minute mark. Following a scramble in the penalty area, Ruan capitalized on a rebound to score.

Despite several attempts to secure the win, Brazil was unable to breach Uruguay’s defense again. The match concluded with a 1-1 scoreline, placing both teams in a tie for second in Group B.

Brazil, a 13-time champion of this tournament, eyes its 14th title this year. The format allows the top two teams from each group to advance to the semifinals, with the semifinals scheduled for April 9 and the final on April 12.

Notably, Brazilian players Luis Eduardo and Tiago Augusto of Grêmio did not see action on the field, while striker Gabriel Mec was withdrawn from the squad due to injury.