Argentina aims to officially secure their spot in the 2026 World Cup as they take on arch rivals Brazil on Tuesday at Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires. Lionel Scaloni's team currently tops the standings with 28 points, while the Selecao sit in third place, trailing by seven points, which could make a huge difference.
Although Argentina has not yet officially secured a spot in the 2026 World Cup, their qualification is nearly guaranteed after a hard-fought win over Uruguay on Friday, despite Lionel Messi's absence due to injury. Thiago Almada, currently on loan at Lyon from Botafogo, delivered a spectacular second-half strike in Montevideo, securing a narrow 1-0 win.
Argentine Just a Step Away from World Cup
Almada's third international goal ended Argentina's three-match winless streak in World Cup qualifying away games. Sitting atop the South American qualification standings with a three-point cushion, Argentina has won nine, drawn one, and lost three of their 13 qualifiers.
They have found the net 22 times while conceding only seven goals throughout the campaign.
Now, the 2022 World Cup champions turn their attention to Tuesday's highly anticipated showdown against longtime rivals Brazil. The hosts aim to extend their unbeaten run in this fixture to five matches (three wins, one draw).
Argentina's recent success against Brazil includes a tight 1-0 win in their last qualifying meeting in November 2023, where Nicolas Otamendi netted the decisive goal at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.
La Albiceleste will also draw confidence from their strong home record, having won seven of their last eight home qualifiers (losing just once) and keeping 11 clean sheets in their past 12 home qualification matches.
Brazil remains on track to maintain their perfect record of qualifying for every World Cup, despite a sluggish start to their current campaign. Their early struggles saw them win just one, draw one, and lose four of their first six matches.
However, the Selecao have since become a more resilient side, going unbeaten in their last five qualifiers, including wins against Chile and Peru during the October international window.
In November, Brazil had to settle for draws against Venezuela and Uruguay before bouncing back with a dramatic victory over Colombia on Thursday.
The five-time world champions seemed destined for a third straight 1-1 draw after Luis Díaz equalized Raphinha's early penalty. But in the 99th minute, Vinícius Júnior unleashed a long-range strike to secure all three points—Brazil's latest match-winner since Casemiro's goal against Colombia in the 2021 Copa América.
When and Where
The Argentina vs Brazil CONMEBOL World Cup 2026 Qualifiers will be played at Estadio Mas Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Tuesday, March 25, at 9 PM local time, 12 PM BST, 7 PM ET and 5:30 AM IST (March 26).
How to Livestream
United States: The Argentina vs Brazil CONMEBOL World Cup 2026 Qualifiers will be aired on En Espanol on Telemundo.
The Argentina vs Brazil CONMEBOL World Cup 2026 Qualifiers will be live streamed on Fubo, and ViX.
United Kingdom: The Argentina vs Brazil CONMEBOL World Cup 2026 Qualifiers will be aired live on Premier Sports. The game will be Live streamed on ViaPlay International's YouTube channel.
India: The Argentina vs Brazil CONMEBOL World Cup 2026 Qualifiers will not be aired in India. However, the Argentina vs Brazil CONMEBOL World Cup 2026 Qualifiers will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.
