Argentina take on the visitors Brazil in a World Cup 2026 qualification match. The match will be played on Wednesday, March 26th at Estadio Monumental (Buenos Aires).
Argentina were long seen as underachievers, frequently losing finals with this generation of players. However, everything changed under Lionel Scaloni. Since taking over, he has delivered near-flawless results, starting with a historic Copa América triumph over Brazil on their own soil. That success was followed by the long-awaited World Cup victory in Qatar. Last year, Argentina once again reigned supreme in South America. By that time, Messi and his teammates were firmly in control of the World Cup qualifying table. However, they struggled in the fall—while they continued to win cleanly at home, their away form dipped. They managed only a draw in Venezuela and suffered back-to-back 1-2 defeats in Colombia and Paraguay. In their last match, though, they secured a narrow but crucial victory over Uruguay. With their solid defensive structure and Scaloni’s tactical discipline, they remain the most consistent side in the region.
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Brazil had very different plans for recent years. The Pentacampeões have now gone two decades without shining on the world stage since winning their fifth World Cup. Since 2002, they have consistently fallen short, usually exiting in the quarterfinals—except for the disastrous 7-1 semifinal loss to Germany in the 2014 home tournament. Tite had two attempts to change that, in 2018 and 2022, but both campaigns ended in failure, leading to his dismissal after the Qatar World Cup. However, things have only worsened since then, particularly due to the long delay in appointing a new head coach. Dorival Júnior officially took charge before last year’s Copa América, where Brazil, despite being considered one of the favorites, won just once and crashed out in the quarterfinals—losing to Uruguay on penalties after a 0-0 draw. Their qualifying campaign also saw plenty of setbacks. Despite winning three matches, they lost to Paraguay in September and had consecutive 1-1 draws against Venezuela and Uruguay in November. Hopes were high that Neymar’s return would boost the squad, but he suffered a serious injury just before the international break (just like Messi). Without him, Brazil still managed to snatch a dramatic 2-1 home victory over Colombia thanks to a last-minute goal from Vinícius Júnior. Defensive frailties and inconsistency remain major concerns.
Three of the last four meetings between these rivals ended in narrow 1-0 wins for Argentina, with the other match finishing in a goalless draw. Argentina have the stronger foundation and more tactical stability, giving them the edge in this heated rivalry. Back Scaloni’s men to claim the victory.
Prediction for the match: Argentina to win.
