Argentina defeated Canada 2-0 and reached the final of the 2024 Copa América. With goals from Julián Álvarez and Lionel Messi, the team led by Lionel Scaloni confirmed that it is living a golden era, which contrasts with the very bad moment of Brazil, eliminated prematurely in the quarterfinals by Uruguay.
If you look at the last decade, the situation of both national teams is markedly opposite. At the continental level, both won a Copa América: Brazil in 2019 and Argentina in 2021.
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The big difference is that the Albiceleste’s title took on special significance for having triumphed in the final against the Seleção and at the Maracanã. To this are added other recent significant victories in youth categories such as the quarterfinals of the 2023 U-17 World Cup or the final quadrangular of the Pre-Olympic this year that left the Canarinha without a ticket to Paris 2024.
In addition, Argentina is going to the United States for its fourth final in the last five editions of the Copa América. In the same period, the other giant of the region played two finals.
This bad moment at the national team level in the region deepens in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, where Brazil is in sixth place after losing three games in a row for the first time in history and losing their unbeaten home record in that competition. Argentina snatched that last mark precisely, with the 1-0 victory in November, again at the Maracanã.
As for the World Cups, Brazil remains the historical leader in titles with its pentacampeonato. However, in the last 10 years Argentina has reached two finals (2014 and 2022) and the current World Champion title in Qatar, while the Seleção reached a semifinal (2014) and the quarterfinals on two occasions (2018 and 2022).
