Latin America Sports Daily for Friday, March 13, 2026

04

Gremio 1-1 Bragantino: Carlos Vinicius Header Not Enough as Rodriguinho Strikes

Football

The Gauchão champions could not translate early dominance into three points at the Arena do Grêmio. Carlos Vinícius headed in from an Enamorado corner on 6 minutes to put the hosts ahead, and the striker nearly doubled the lead shortly after when his close-range effort was cleared off the line by Pedro Henrique.

Bragantino grew into the contest, seeing a Lucas Barbosa equaliser ruled out by VAR for offside on the 22-minute mark. The Massa Bruta finally found the net in the 65th minute when substitute Rodriguinho unleashed a spectacular drive from outside the box, the ball deflecting past Weverton to make it 1-1. Despite late pressure from both sides, neither could find a winner.

Grêmio climb to ninth on seven points; Bragantino sit fifth with eight. The draw extended Grêmio’s winless streak against Bragantino to eight matches since 2021.

05

Indian Wells QFs: Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev and Medvedev Sweep Into Semis

Tennis

The BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals delivered a dominant day for the tour’s elite as all four top seeds swept into the semi-finals in straight sets. Jannik Sinner was the most emphatic, dismantling 20-year-old American Learner Tien 6-1, 6-2 in just 64 minutes, striking 10 aces and never facing a break point. Alexander Zverev dispatched Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-3 in a controlled hour-long display.

Daniil Medvedev ended defending champion Jack Draper’s title defence 6-1, 7-5 in a match marred by a late hindrance controversy — a disputed call at 5-4 in the second set that drew boos from the crowd but ultimately did not change the outcome. Medvedev reaches his fourth consecutive Indian Wells semi-final.

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz completed the lineup with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Cameron Norrie, extending his 2026 winning streak to 16 matches. The semi-final draw: Alcaraz vs. Medvedev, Sinner vs. Zverev — a rematch of the 2023 and 2024 finals on one side, and a potential coronation on the other.

06

Copa do Brasil Phase 3 Wraps Up: 24 Teams Advance to Fourth Round

Football

The Copa do Brasil’s third phase concluded on Thursday night with 10 single-leg matches completing the round of 48. Among the most notable: Sport defeated Anápolis at the Ilha do Retiro, Juventude advanced in Belém against Tuna Luso, Ceará progressed past Maranhão in São Luís, and América-MG survived in Itajaí against Série D champions Barra-SC. Novorizontino — fresh from reaching the Paulistão final — eliminated Mixto away in Cuiabá.

The 24 surviving teams now enter the fourth phase next week (March 18-19), still in single-leg format. The Série A clubs — including Flamengo, Palmeiras, Corinthians, and the rest of the top flight — only enter at the fifth phase in late April, when the competition shifts to two-legged ties.

This year’s revamped format features 126 clubs, a record for the tournament, with the final set for a single match in December. For investors tracking Latin American financial news, the Copa do Brasil’s prize pool exceeds R$500 million — making it the most lucrative domestic cup competition in South America.

07

Brasileirao Standings Shaken: Sao Paulo Lead as Palmeiras Stumble

Football

After Thursday’s four matches, the Brasileirão table has a new look. São Paulo sit alone on 13 points after five matches, three clear of Palmeiras, Fluminense, and Coritiba on 10. Bahia are fifth on nine points. The big movers on Thursday were Vasco (up to 15th on 4 points, off the bottom) and Fluminense (into the G4 at third).

Coritiba, who beat Corinthians 2-0 on Wednesday, also sit on 10 points in fourth. The Athletico-PR vs. Botafogo match has been postponed to March 29 due to Botafogo’s Copa Libertadores preliminary commitments. Rodada 6 begins Sunday, with Fluminense hosting Athletico-PR and Palmeiras receiving Mirassol among the headline fixtures.

For analysts tracking LATAM market analysis and emerging market intelligence Latin America, the Brasileirão’s new continuous calendar — running from January to December — has significantly altered the commercial cadence of Brazilian football’s broadcast and sponsorship revenues.

08

Indian Wells WTA: Svitolina Stuns Swiatek as Sabalenka Rolls On

Tennis

The women’s draw at Indian Wells produced its biggest upset of the fortnight as Elina Svitolina toppled former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in a gripping three-set encounter. The Ukrainian showed remarkable resilience after dropping the second set, breaking Swiatek twice in the decider to advance to the semi-finals.

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka held off a spirited challenge from 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, winning 7-6(0), 6-4 to remain unbeaten in sets through the tournament. Elena Rybakina dismissed Jessica Pegula 6-1, 7-6(4), while Linda Noskova continued her breakthrough run with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Australia’s Talia Gibson.

Friday’s semi-final draw: Sabalenka vs. Noskova, Svitolina vs. Rybakina.

09

Liga MX Preview: Jornada 11 Opens Friday With Nine Matches on Tap

Preview

The Liga MX Clausura 2026 returns from its FIFA-date pause with Jornada 11 kicking off Friday night. Cruz Azul lead the table on 25 points after last weekend’s commanding 3-0 win over Atlético de San Luis, with Toluca (22 pts) and Chivas (21 pts) in pursuit following the Rojiblancos’ 2-1 Clásico Tapatío triumph over Atlas.

Friday’s headline fixture pits Toluca against Atlas at the Nemesio Diez (7 PM CT), while Saturday features the marquee clash of Pumas vs. Cruz Azul at the Estadio Olímpico and América hosting Mazatlán. The action wraps Sunday with two more encounters.

Key storyline: América, Mexico’s most decorated club, have struggled for consistency in the Clausura with just four wins from ten games. A loss to Mazatlán could pile further pressure on manager André Jardine ahead of the Club World Cup in June.

10

Brasileirao Rodada 5 Midweek Recap: Flamengo and Coritiba Win Big on Wednesday

Football

Wednesday’s earlier Rodada 5 results — covered in full in yesterday’s Latin America Sports Daily — set the stage for Thursday’s drama. Flamengo beat Cruzeiro 2-0 at the Maracanã in Leonardo Jardim’s first match against his former club, while Coritiba stunned Corinthians 2-0 at the Neo Química Arena to climb level on 10 points with the early leaders.

Earlier in the week, Mirassol and Santos drew 2-2 on Tuesday, and Wednesday’s Ba-Vi derby ended 1-1 at the Fonte Nova. Atlético-MG edged Inter 1-0 at the Arena MRV in a match that saw Everson make a string of saves to preserve the narrow victory.

With the Athletico-PR vs. Botafogo fixture rescheduled for March 29, the Brasileirão table will not be fully complete until then. Rodada 6 fixtures run from Sunday through Wednesday next week.