Brazil to face Argentina in World Cup qualifier
Brazil will face Argentina at 9 p.m. (Brasília time) on Tuesday (Mar. 25), at the Monumental de Nuñez Stadium in Buenos Aires, in the 14th round of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Despite securing a 2-1 victory over Colombia in the previous round, coach Dorival Júnior has announced six changes to the lineup. Two of these are tactical decisions: striker Matheus Cunha will replace João Pedro, and full-back Wesley will take Vanderson’s spot.
The remaining changes, according to the coach, are due to injuries to goalkeeper Alisson and midfielder Gerson, as well as yellow card suspensions for defender Gabriel Magalhães and midfielder Bruno Guimarães.
The lineup to face Argentina features Bento; Wesley, Marquinhos, Murillo, and Guilherme Arana; André, Joelinton, and Rodrygo; Raphinha, Vinicius Júnior, and Matheus Cunha.
As Brazil prepares to face table-toppers Argentina, who have 28 points, away from home, coach Dorival Júnior—whose team sits in third place with 21 points—emphasized respect while making it clear that the goal is to win. In a press conference, he stated:
“It’s a great classic in world soccer. There will be battles on the pitch, but above all, mutual respect between both teams. We’re going there to face the world and Copa America champions, a team that has won the most games in recent years. Our aim is to play our best soccer and achieve a great result, understanding that matches are decided on the field.”
Argentina will also be without key players for the match, most notably Lionel Messi, who was left out of the squad by coach Lionel Scaloni due to injury. Striker Lautaro Martínez is another absence for the same reason. However, midfielder Rodrigo De Paul is expected to return to the starting lineup after being rested against Uruguay. In this scenario, Argentina’s main hope lies in attacking midfielder Thiago Almada, who scored the decisive goal in their 1-0 victory over Uruguay.
