A World Cup always brings excitement, thrill, and anticipation of classic clashes. Among them, the most eagerly awaited duel is undoubtedly Brazil vs Argentina. The football heritage, emotions, and on-field rivalry between these two teams make this matchup feel like a World Cup of its own. So after the draw for the 2026 World Cup, fans naturally asked the first question — “When could the two arch-rivals meet?”
Both teams have been placed in comparatively easier groups.
Argentina are in Group J — along with Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. Brazil are in Group C with Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland. On paper, both teams are the favorites in their respective groups. Therefore, their chances of advancing beyond the group stage look strong.
But this is where things get complicated. The knockout system of this World Cup is not as straightforward as before. From the 12 groups, 32 teams will advance — the top two from each group along with the eight best third-placed teams. Which team finishes where, and which bracket they fall into, depends on specific combinations.
This complexity makes a Brazil-Argentina showdown uncertain.
According to the possible scenarios:
- If both teams finish as group champions, they cannot meet before the semifinals.
- If both finish as runners-up, they still cannot face each other before the semifinals.
- If one team tops their group and the other finishes second, they would only meet in the final.
In other words, the path to the “Superclásico – World Cup edition” that fans are hoping for is quite long.
But the situation becomes even more complicated if either team advances as one of the best third-placed teams. If Brazil or Argentina finish third somehow and qualify among the best eight third-place teams, the knockout bracket changes significantly. The placement of third-placed teams depends not only on their own group but also on results from other groups.
As a result, predicting at which stage the two teams might face each other in that scenario becomes nearly impossible.
