Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the 2026 World Cup Qualification match.
Fresh off a hard-fought win in Montevideo, Argentina now brace themselves for another South American classic – a home showdown with Brazil at the legendary Estadio Monumental.
Argentina
Argentina emerged victorious against Uruguay thanks to a gritty 1:0 win, despite the late sending off of Juventus midfielder Nico González, who only featured off the bench. Argentina continue to get the job done even without the likes of Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martínez. At home during this qualification campaign, they’ve dropped points just once – the 0:2 loss to Uruguay. In all other matches on their patch, they’ve been in command.
Brazil
Brazil snatched victory from the jaws of a draw against Colombia, with Vinícius Júnior netting a dramatic double – including a stoppage-time winner deep into the 99th minute. However, that match came at a cost. A violent collision between Colombia’s Davinson Sánchez and Brazil’s Alisson Becker saw both men taken off – with the Liverpool goalkeeper later ruled out of this clash. Backup keeper Bento Krepski, who replaced him, is likely to start. That could be a pivotal change, as this will only be his fourth appearance for the national team.
Argentina vs Brazil Prediction
Brazil’s loss is arguably as significant as Vinicius Júnior, but Argentina are also missing some of their key attackers. Even so, we think Alisson Becker’s absence will be decisive. Al-Nassr’s Bento Krepski, after all, only made his third appearance for the national team last game. The Brazilian side also have only won one of their last five away World Cup qualifiers, losing three.
