Dealing with Messi is clearly very difficult and it’s natural to feel worried. It’s impossible not to be concerned about a player of his caliber and his ability to make game-changing decisions. This was expressed by Coach Fernando Diniz at the press conference before the Superclasico match between Brazil and Argentina in the sixth round of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers for the South American region, which will take place tomorrow at 7:30am.
The Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with a capacity of over 78,000 seats, sold out quickly due to the highly anticipated Superclásico match between two powerhouse football teams from South America.
Despite the advantage of playing at home, Brazil’s recent poor performance and the injuries to several key players have caused them to be rated lower than the defending World Cup champions Argentina in the 6th round of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Neymar and Junior Vinicius, the dynamic duo of forwards, are currently nursing severe injuries and will be out of play for a long time. This has left Coach Fernando Diniz with no other choice but to rely on a young team for their upcoming match against Argentina at the Maracana stadium.
However, Coach Diniz expressed his hope for an electrifying atmosphere in Maracana, with fans eagerly anticipating Brazil’s revenge for their defeat in the Copa America 2021 final against Argentina. He believes that this will be the driving force for his players to perform at their best.
I hope that Brazil will perform well in the upcoming match and with the support of the home crowd, we can create an amazing atmosphere. We are prepared to face the current number one team in the world, Argentina, who are in top form not only because they won the 2022 World Cup.
This team has players who have competed in some of the biggest tournaments and are used to the bright lights of the stage. And let’s not forget Messi. They have been playing well for a long time, with a winning cycle and maintaining their foundation.
“We acknowledge that and we will prepare to play our best against a strong opponent,” coach Diniz added. Meanwhile, Brazilian forward Endrick Felipe hopes to take the field in the match against Argentina. “Messi is a phenomenon, he is currently the best player in the world, and facing him, seeing him up close will be an incredible experience.”
My main priority is the team’s victory and if I get to play, I will do my best,” said the 17-year-old striker from Palmeiras club who is being watched by Real Madrid for the upcoming summer season, in a press conference before the match. According to the historical record of Brazil vs Argentina matches, Selecao has dominated over the Tango team with 46 wins, 26 draws, and 41 losses. After not winning in the last three matches, Brazil dropped to fifth place in the South American ranking table with 7 points out of 5 matches after losing to Colombia 1-2 on November 17th. If they beat the Argentine team, Brazil will shorten the gap with the opponent at the top of the table, but conversely, they will fall behind the Scaloni-led team by 8 points after 6 rounds.