Pre-match information
The 2026 World Cup qualifiers are back in South America after the summer of Copa America. World and Copa America champions Argentina will be aiming to secure the No. 1 spot in the rankings.
La Albiceleste now have 15 points after 6 matches, 2 points more than Uruguay. In the most recent match in the qualifying round, Argentina beat Brazil in November last year.
That match started an 11-game winning streak for Argentina since the loss to Uruguay. Of course, Lionel Messi played in most of those games, but when qualifying resumed against Chile, the 37-year-old captain was unable to play due to injury.
Argentina are also without Angel di Maria as he retired from international football after the Copa America, but the hosts are still favourites to beat Chile, who are also struggling.
They have only won 1 match in this qualifying round, temporarily ranked 8th on the rankings with 5 points.
Only six teams will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, with the seventh-placed team playing a play-off. The opportunity is not over yet, but coach Ricardo Gareca's team will have to find a way to return as quickly as possible.
But how to bounce back when their away form in 2026 World Cup qualifiers has been poor - losing 1-3 to Uruguay, 0-3 to Venezuela and 0-1 to Ecuador.
Last June, Chile lost 0-1 to Argentina in the Copa America group stage.
