World Cup 2026: CONMEBOL Titans are Ready to Face Off

Argentina vs Brazil

With qualification for the World Cup 2026 never really in doubt the kings of South American football are about to come together again when Junior’s Brazil visit Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina in Round 14 of the CONMEBOL qualifiers.

The top six teams in the table of ten will make their way to North America and Mexico next summer while the seventh placed team will have a play-off chance. Argentina and Brazil are currently in first and third, with Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay and Colombia also occupying the top six. 

After a slow start the Selecao have climbed up to third in the CONMEBOL table and eight points clear of Bolivia who occupy the intercontinental play-off position in seventh. Reigning World Champions Argentina have led from the front and occupied top spot from the off, currently six points clear of Ecuador in second and seven ahead of the Selecao. 

The World Cup 2026 betting odds reckon Brazil to be the most likely South American team to lift the trophy next year, but Argentina will certainly have plenty to say about that and will be keen to make a point when the two giants meet in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.    

 

Talking Points

Argentina on the brink

With an outstanding set of World Cup 2026 results in the bag Scaloni rested some of his stars for the clash with Uruguay and, with no Lionel Messi or Lautaro Martinez on the pitch it was down to the likes of Julian Alvarez and Angel Correa to lead the attack, and it was 23 year old Lyon striker Thiago Almada who scored the goal to beat Uruguay with a second half screamer. 

The 1-0 win took the Albiceleste on to 28 points meaning they will book their place at the finals with one more point from their final five games, and Scaloni would love nothing more than to see the job through against their biggest rivals. They will have to play the Selecao without Juventus winger Nicolas Gonzalez who was set off in stoppage time.

It was an impressive result against Marcelo Bielsa’s side who suffered a first defeat at home since they lost to Argentina back in 2021, and the world champions will be keen to follow it up with another big performance on Tuesday.          

 

Brazil without their Premier stars

While Argentina will be missing Gonzalez, the Selecao picked up a couple of suspensions during their 2-1 win over Colombia as Arsenal’s centre back Gabriel was yellow carded, as was Newcastle United midfield ace Bruno Guimaraes, fresh from winning the FA Cup with the Magpies. 

But while the England contingent of the Selecao had a mixed night the La Liga contingent did the business as Barcelona’s Raphinha scored a penalty won by Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior. And, after Luis Diaz had equalised for Colombia, the Los Blancos man scored a curler from the edge of the box to send the Brazil fans home delirious. Vinicius has been in great form for Los Blancos, scoring in a recent win over Rayo Vallecano and alongside club-mate Rodrygo and Barca’s Raphinha, he is in the mood to stretch any defence. He will have his work cut out though against a mean Argentina rearguard though.     

 

History

Brazil are five times World Cup winners, on the last occasion in 2002, while Argentina won their third world crown in Qatar in 2022. The Selecao have had the better of this encounter over the years with 15 wins to Argentina’s eight and there have been five draws. But Scaloni’s men won 1-0 when they met in Brazil on Round Six as Nicola Otamendi scored the winner; and there was trouble in the crowd as Newcastle star Joelinton was sent off and the Selecao lost a Word Cup qualifier at home for the first time.   

Recent form is pretty close with Argentina winning three, drawing one and losing two of the last six while Brazil have won three, drawn two and lost one, and the Albiceleste are unbeaten at home to Brazil in the last four meetings. 

 

Betting Tip

With Argentina at SBOTOP odds of 2.07 to win and Brazil at 3.17 all three results are on the cards, but I have a feeling this will be a cagey affair and both teams may even be happy to escape unbeaten. For the fans sake I hope to be proved wrong but with 0-0 at a price of just 6.18 the odds suggest I may be right, while 1-1 is the most likely outcome at a price of 5.60.

   

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