‘Argentina weren’t favorites at the last World Cup, and they won’: Guimaraes defends Brazil’s 2026 hopes

Brazil are set to begin their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign looking to end a 24-year drought without lifting the trophy. Bruno Guimaraes addressed the widespread perception that his national team are not among the leading favorites and pointed to Argentina as an example.

“Argentina weren’t favorites at the last World Cup, and they won,” Guimaraes said during a press conference this week when asked whether he believed Brazil could win the trophy despite their struggles in recent years and the team’s unconvincing performances.

However, the comparison with Argentina is open to debate. Four years ago, Lionel Messi and his teammates entered the 2022 World Cup as the reigning Copa America and Finalissima champions. They were playing convincing soccer and carried a 36-match unbeaten streak that ended in their opener against Saudi Arabia.

There was no unanimous agreement at the time regarding Argentina’s status as title contenders, but many observers did hold that view. By contrast, caution surrounding Brazil‘s chances now appears to be more widespread and supported by tangible evidence.

Brazil finished fifth in the World Cup qualifiers, 10 points behind Argentina, after a turbulent cycle that included the departures of two head coaches before Carlo Ancelotti arrived last summer. Under the Italian manager, they have played 12 matches across official competitions and friendlies, recording seven wins, two draws and three losses.

Guimaraes defends Brazil’s chances

At the same press conference, Bruno Guimaraes defended Brazil’s chances of competing for the title at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He first pointed to the history and tradition of the national team. “No one has five stars on their chest,” he said, referring to Brazil’s record as the most successful team in World Cup history.

“We have great players shining at the best teams in the world, like Vini and Raphinha,” added the Newcastle midfielder while explaining his optimism about Brazil’s chances. “We must show proper respect to our players.”

Brazil face a tough challenge in their opener

As members of Group C, Brazil will be among the first teams to begin their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. They will face Morocco on Saturday in a difficult test against a team that reached the semifinals in Qatar 2022 and finished as runners-up at the 2025 AFCON just a few months ago.

On paper, that will be Carlo Ancelotti’s team’s toughest challenge of the group stage. They will then face Haiti on Friday, June 19, before wrapping up that phase of the tournament five days later against Scotland.