Argentina crush Brazil 4-1 to storm into 2026 World Cup

In a high-stakes showdown at the Estadio Mas Monumental, Argentina delivered a masterclass performance to dismantle archarivals Brazil 4-1 in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier, securing their spot in the tournament with a dominant display that left little room for doubt.

A 0-0 draw between Uruguay and Bolivia, however, earlier on Tuesday had sealed Argentina’s spot at the 2026 World Cup as they became the first South American team to qualify for the tournament in North America.

After edging Colombia 2-1 at home on Thursday, Brazil came crashing back to earth against the world champions. Even without the injured Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez, Argentina were streets ahead of their rivals.

The match, which kicked off early Wednesday morning Bangladesh time, saw Lionel Scaloni’s side assert their superiority from the opening whistle. With this emphatic win, Argentina—the reigning world champions—now sit comfortably at the top of the qualification table with 31 points from 14 matches. Meanwhile, Brazil, with just 21 points from the same number of games, faces growing uncertainty over their World Cup hopes.

Argentina came out firing, with Julián Álvarez opening the scoring in the 4th minute. The pressure mounted quickly on Brazil as Enzo Fernández doubled the lead in the 12th minute, capitalizing on defensive disarray. Although Matheus Cunha gave Brazil a brief glimmer of hope with a goal in the 26th minute, Argentina’s response was swift and ruthless. Alexis Mac Allister restored the two-goal cushion in the 37th minute, finishing off a clinical team move that sent the home crowd into a frenzy.

Despite Brazil’s attempts to regroup after the break, their defense remained fragile. Argentina continued to exploit the gaps with sharp attacking play. The final blow came in the 71st minute, when Julián Simeone—son of Argentine football legend Diego Simeone—fired in from a tight angle to seal a memorable victory.

Argentina’s dominance, both in spirit and in skill, now sees them march into the 2026 World Cup with confidence, while Brazil must return to the drawing board to salvage their qualifying campaign.

This match not only underscored the gulf in form between the two South American giants but also reaffirmed Argentina’s status as the team to beat on the road to 2026.

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