Brazil vs Argentina is one of the most powerful signals in world football. A kind of South American “superclassico”, in which the main antagonists of the continent face each other, whose hostility towards each other both on the field and in the stands has lasted for decades. Tonight they will play against each other.
Various versions of why Argentina and Brazil are at odds
Co-author of the book Brazil and Argentina: An Essay in Comparative History, Brazilian historian and political scientist Boris Fausto believes that the rivalry was born from politics. “It all began in the 19th century, when the two countries, as the most important in the region, had their own rights of hegemony and superiority,” he wrote. At the beginning of the mentioned century, Brazil and Argentina were in a state of war, the subject of which was the struggle for influence in Uruguay and Paraguay (Uruguay was part of colonial Brazil before gaining independence). All this gradually took shape and was accepted by society, and then, over time, spread to other areas of life, including football.
Argentine political scientist Rosendo Fraga also argues that the ancient rivalry in sport arose from clashes that arose in the 19th century, as well as political tensions in the early 20th century, when diplomatic relations between the countries were severed. Fraga explained that Argentina was projected as the only country in South America that had the opportunity to compete with Brazil for regional leadership, which naturally did not suit the Brazilians. Soccer, as the most popular sport in both countries, ended up becoming a kind of continuation of the eternal dispute for hegemony in the region.
Brazil – Argentina Match
Photo: Wolfgang Weihs/Getty Images
Another Argentine political scientist, Vicente Palermo, wrote that “historically, it has been common for Argentines to view Brazilians as superior.” Palermo explained this by the differences between the histories of the countries, in which the colonization process played an important role (Argentina was a Spanish colony, Brazil was Portuguese).
Palermo described Argentina as “more homogeneous and egalitarian (with more equal opportunities for all – Championship note)”, Brazil as “more diverse and unequal”. Everything changed during the years of the Argentine dictatorship (1976-1983), when the local population faced the problem of poverty, which was also serious in Brazil. After that, Argentines began to look at their neighbor in a different way.
Argentina during the dictatorship 1976 – 1983
Photo: militartoday.com
Another important point is that Brazil supported Argentina in the Falklands War, which also influenced the warming of relations. At the end of the last century, an association was established between the countries that remains to this day: there is no longer talk of hostility.
But there is an opinion that politics lived all this time separately from football, and therefore rivalry in sports arose for other reasons. At first everything was fraternally warm: in 1913, the president of Argentina, Julio Roca, who before this position was ambassador to Brazil, created the Roca Cup, which consisted of a single match in which the teams of both countries participated. As planned, the Cup was held each time in Argentina or Brazil, and this rule was always respected. Julio Roca trusted that this type of matches will generate healthy competition and help the development of football in both countries.
Rock Cup
Photo: Keystone/Getty Images
Then it was easy to be friends: the main football rival of the Argentine national team on the continent was Uruguay, which defeated the Argentines in the final of the football tournament at the Amsterdam Olympic Games in 1928, as well as in the first. 1930 World Cup. Brazil, on the contrary, was more of a third force, but this did not last long: when Pelé appeared in this team and there were three victories in the World Championship (1958, 1962, 1970), Argentina was far behind .
It was then that a turning point occurred that changed the balance of football forces in the region and, at the same time, took the rivalry between the two largest teams to a new level. The fight became fiercer when Argentina raised Diego Maradona and won two World Cups (1978, 1986); The team at that time was considered one of the favorites in all the competitions in which it participated. It is quite logical to believe that at that time Brazil was taken off its pedestal.
Diego Maradona
Former leader of the Argentine national team
“My country loves beating Brazil more than any other team. The same applies to them! They like beating us more than beating Holland, Italy, Germany or any other country. As we are. Like me. “There is nothing more beautiful than beating Brazil.”
Both teams have been rich in talent throughout their history, both countries live football and treat it with passion. This rivalry is not about hatred, but about the eternal competition for the title of the best, for the opportunity to showcase the brightest talents. Argentine defender Roberto Perfumo explained that there is a big difference between Brazilian and Argentine soccer schools: some are creative and have a knack for samba; others are full of unbridled passion and have the technical precision of tango.
“We are mutually jealous,” said the former central defender of the Argentine national team in an interview with Olé. – It is a different relationship with the ball. We use it more to achieve our goals, they use it more for personal pleasure. This is due to lifestyle. For us football is tragic, for them it is a party.”
In their entire history, the national teams of Argentina and Brazil have played 110 matches against each other, and so far the advantage is on the side of the Brazilians: 43 victories against 41. Interestingly, Brazil has never lost a World Cup qualifying match in home, and Argentina only failed once during this qualification. That is why this meeting will be more exciting than ever.
Argentina – Brazil Match
Photo: Pedro Vilela/Getty Images
Matches between Argentina and Brazil are often accompanied by high-profile events.
The intensity in the key matches between Argentina and Brazil was always very high. In 1937, during the final match of the Copa América, the Brazilians left the field before the final whistle, fearing for their safety, so hard was the pressure from the Argentine public. Two years later, the Argentines had already left the field because, due to a confrontation with the referee, the police took their defender off the field. In 1946, the captain of the Argentine national team, José Salomón, had his leg broken in two places, after which a massive fight broke out on the field, in which the players participated and then the spectators joined. The crowd got so angry that the players had to hide in the locker room.
In 1982, Diego Maradona knocked out Joao Batista, which led to a confrontation on the field, and in 1990 a kind of hell also occurred in Turin: they wrote that the drinks given to the Brazilian team were poisoned by the Argentine. side. Later, even Maradona confirmed it. In 1995, an incident occurred that received the nickname “The Hand of the Devil”: in the Copa América, Tulio scored to tie the score and the match went to a penalty shootout. The Argentines claimed that the goal was scored with his hand, but the Peruvian referee did not see anything similar. Then Brazil ended up going further; You will agree, it is not a bad irony.
Maradona in a skirmish with the Brazilians in 1982
Photo: AP/TASS
In 2014, when Brazil was ignominiously eliminated from their country’s World Cup, thousands of Argentines mocked their bitter rivals by singing not the most pleasant songs at matches. One of them began: “Brazil, tell me what it is like.” At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Argentine and Brazilian fans fought even during the tennis tournament, forcing sports authorities to meet and develop a program to resolve the conflict.
During the selection for the 2022 World Cup, the police burst into the match between Argentina and Brazil: the Brazilian authorities wanted to deport four visiting footballers who were playing in England. At the time, coronavirus restrictions were still in full force and England was in the “red zone,” so the players had to quarantine. The match was never completed, so the theory arose that the Brazilians deliberately set everything up for the game to fail.
Here you can read more about how it happened.
The police interrupted the match between Brazil and Argentina! They tried to deport the footballers directly from the field
In early November, a week before the Copa Libertadores final at the Maracaná, Boca Juniors fans were arrested in Rio de Janeiro after clashes with Fluminense fans.
They also wrote about this.
“It’s like we’re in a war.” Boca fans attacked before the game of the year in South America
Brazilians and Argentinians may respect each other in life, but when it comes to football, these are completely different emotions. We will soon know if the teams will write at the Maracaná. a new page in its brightest and undoubtedly greatest confrontation.
In the last round of selection, both of them lost!
The historic failure of Argentina and Brazil in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Messi also went crazy
