It is without a doubt the biggest match in international football: Argentina vs. Brazil. The two sides have given the footballing world so much joy over the years on the pitch.
The debate of which country’s style is better, La Nuestra of Argentina or Joga Bonita of Brazil, has raged for years, and has been fueled by the discussion of who is the best player of all time, Diego Armando Maradona or Pele.
The list of great players goes far and beyond those two, as Brazil have given us Garrincha, Zagallo, Carlos Alberto, Jairzinho, Tostao, Romario, Bebeto, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho, while Argentina have produced the likes of Di Stefano, Passarella, Kempes, Ardiles, Valdano, Batistuta, Redondo, Simeone, Batistuta, Crespo, and Riquelme.
Both countries have also been extremely successful as far as results go, not only by bringing through great talent.
Brazil has of course won five World Cups to Argentina’s two, but La Seleccion has been able to dominate in other competitions. Argentina has won a record 15 Copa Americas (South America’s continental competition) to Brazil’s 10. Argentina has also won two Olympic Gold Medals, the only competition Brazil has never won.
Argentina also holds the edge in the youth ranks; winning six Under 20 World Cups to Brazil’s four. Brazil has won thee FIFA Confederations Cup, while Argentina has managed to win it only once, albeit in the much different format during the first version of the event.
Despite their successes in past decades, Argentina finds themselves in a barren run at the international stage, not having won a major trophy since the 1993 Copa America.
The domination of these two nations goes beyond the international stage, to the club level, where Argentine outfits have won a record 21 Copa Libertadores (the South American version of the Champions League), while Brazil sides have won 13.
Despite the disparity in Copa America triumphs, both countries share a record nine Intercontinental Cups. The likes of Independiente (seven titles), Boca Juniors (six), and Estudiantes (three) have dominated the proceedings for Argentina in the Copa Libertadores, while Sao Paulo (three), Gremio (two), and Santos (two) lead the way for Brazil.
The statistics and championships are even more impressive considering the way the teams play. Argentina and Brazil have always vowed to win, but also to do it by playing with the attacking style and flair football fans know and love (although Carlos Bilardo’s 1990 World Cup Finalists and Dunga’s 2007 Copa America champions did nothing of the sort).
Brazil has given us perhaps the greatest team goal of all time when Carlos Alberto fired home Pele’s pass in the 1970 World Cup Final against Italy, although Argentines would argue that Esteban Cambiasso’s goal that featured a string of 25 consecutive passes, including an exquisite back heel from Hernan Crespo, is better.
Argentina also claims Diego Maradona’s run against England as the greatest goal in World Cup history, followed closely by Pele's lob around a Swedish defender in the 1958 World Cup Final.
These two sides have also been able to succeed for the most part without top class goalkeepers, although Inter Milan’s Julio Cesar has finally put an end to the joke that Brazil try to win the World Cup with out a goalkeeper.
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