South American rivals Brazil and Argentina will lock horns in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday evening, with both teams looking to bounce back from surprise defeats last time out.
Brazil, who are fifth in their qualification section, will enter the contest off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Colombia, while table-topping Argentina lost 2-0 at home to Uruguay.
Match preview
© Reuters
Brazil's form in this qualification process has been far from impressive, with the Green and Yellows boasting a record of two wins, one draw and two defeats to collect seven points, which has left them in fifth position, five points behind leaders Argentina ahead of Tuesday's clash.
Fernando Diniz's side opened their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign with back-to-back wins over Bolivia and Peru, but they were then held to a 1-1 draw by Venezuela in their first match in October.
Uruguay recorded a 2-0 win over Brazil on October 17, before Colombia beat the five-time World Cup winners 2-1 last time out, with Luis Diaz scoring a late brace for Colombia after Gabriel Martinelli had made the breakthrough in the fourth minute of the contest.
This is Brazil's final match of the year, and it is the perfect chance for them to raise the confidence of their adoring supporters, but another poor result could potentially see them slip out of the top six, which would be remarkable, even at this early stage of the process.
Selecao last won the World Cup in 2002, but they have found it difficult to impress since, being eliminated in the quarter-finals in four of their last five tournaments, including last year in Qatar, when many had been tipping them to advance to at least the final.
© Reuters
Argentina were instead the team that secured glory at the 2022 World Cup, beating France in a pulsating final to secure the trophy for the third time in their history.
The White and Sky Blues recorded four straight friendly wins after beating France in the final, and they then managed to overcome Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru in their first four 2026 World Cup qualification matches, which left them comfortably at the top of the section on 12 points.
The world champions were shocked by Uruguay in an ill-tempered affair last time out, though, with goals from Ronald Araujo and Darwin Nunez allowing the visitors to record a 2-0 victory, inflicting Argentina's first defeat since going down 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in their opening game of the last World Cup.
Lionel Scaloni's side remain top of the section, two points ahead of second-placed Uruguay, and there is an awful lot of football to be played before the end of the qualification campaign, but Argentina will be desperate to inflict a third straight loss on their bitter rivals in this match.
Argentina have won two and drawn one of their last three internationals against Brazil, including a famous 1-0 success in the final of the Copa America in July 2021, with Angel Di Maria's 22nd-minute effort proving to be the difference between the two sides.
Team News
© Reuters
Brazil lost Vinicius Junior to a hamstring injury in the first half of the clash with Colombia, meaning that there will need to be at least one change to their starting side for this match.
Joao Pedro was introduced as Vinicius's replacement in the team's last game, and the Brighton & Hove Albion forward could now potentially come in for a start here, but it seems more likely that Martinelli will feature through the middle.
Endrick, who is joining Real Madrid next year, debuted against Colombia, and the 17-year-old is expected to again play a part in the final third of the field, while Gabriel Jesus is back in training following a hamstring issue and could be on the bench.
Meanwhile, Douglas Luiz could potentially be introduced to strengthen the midfield alongside Andre and Bruno Guimaraes.
Brazil have a number of notable absentees, with Ederson, Danilo, Eder Militao, Casemiro, Neymar and Richarlison among those unavailable for selection due to fitness problems.
As for Argentina, head coach Scaloni is expected to resist the temptation to shuffle his pack following the disappointment of the defeat to Uruguay last time out.
However, there could be an alteration in the final third of the field, with Lautaro Martinez likely to be introduced, which could see Nicolas Gonzalez drop down to the bench.
Julian Alvarez could switch into a wide area, but there are unlikely to be any further changes, with Rodrigo De Paul set to keep his position in midfield.
Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho was surprisingly left out of the latest squad, while his club teammate Lisandro Martinez is also absent due to a foot injury.
Brazil possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Emerson, Marquinhos, Magalhaes, Lodi; Guimaraes, Andre, Luiz; Rodrygo, Martinelli, Raphinha
Argentina possible starting lineup:
E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Mac Allister, Fernandez; Messi, L Martinez, Alvarez
We say: Brazil 1-1 Argentina
Both sides will be determined to bounce back from defeats last time out, but it could be a cagey match in terms of the general play, as both managers will be wary of losing it. It would not be a surprise to see Brazil win this despite their disappointing form, but we just have a feeling that the spoils will be shared on Tuesday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
Argentina
Uruguay
Ecuador
Colombia
Brazil
Paraguay
Bolivia
Venezuela
Chile
Peru
