Arop Jonchol
Al-Wadi / Agencies
The Argentine national team dominated its arch-rival Brazil in the Superclásico match, defeating them 4-1 on the morning of Wednesday, March 26, as part of the 14th round of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
The Tango dancers officially secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup with four rounds remaining in the South American qualifiers. With this victory over the Seleção, they raised their tally to 31 points, eight clear of second-placed Ecuador and 10 points ahead of Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay, who are tied for third, fourth, and fifth place.
The match was held at River Plate’s Monumental Stadium in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, which has a capacity of 84,000 spectators.
Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez opened the scoring just four minutes after kickoff, capitalizing on a brilliant run through Brazil’s defense to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper and finish comfortably.
Argentina’s attack exploited Brazil’s defensive collapse, adding a second goal in the 12th minute through Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández, who slotted home from inside the six-yard box after receiving a well-placed pass.
Although Brazil managed to get back into the match with a goal in the 26th minute—scored by Wolverhampton forward Matheus Cunha with a precise shot from outside the box after a costly defensive error by Cristian Romero—Argentina quickly worked to put the game to bed.
The third goal came in the 37th minute with a stunning touch from Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, who received a brilliant pass from Enzo Fernández inside the box, giving Argentina a commanding 3-1 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni tightened his grip on Brazil’s defense by bringing on Giuliano Simeone for Thiago Almada in the 68th minute. Just three minutes later, Atlético Madrid star Giuliano Simeone netted Argentina’s fourth goal after a cross from left-back Nicolás Tagliafico.
Legendary forward Lionel Messi missed the match due to injury. The game marked the 10th meeting between Argentina and Brazil since November 2015, when they faced off in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, up until March 2025. Argentina has won five of those encounters, while Brazil has won three, with two matches ending in a draw.
Brazil’s last victory over Argentina dates back to July 2019, when they secured a 2-0 win in the Copa América semifinals before going on to lift the trophy by defeating Peru in the final.
Before this defeat, Brazil had not lost a match since their 1-0 setback against Paraguay in Asunción during the World Cup qualifiers. Following that loss, they recorded three wins against Chile, Peru, and Colombia, along with two draws against Venezuela and Uruguay, putting them back in contention for second place in the South American standings alongside Ecuador and Uruguay.
