SSoccer fans have the new edition of the 2026 FIFA World Cup marked on their calendars. Several debates have surfaced to add excitement to the wait, but the biggest one is which teams will be in the finals on July 19th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and, of course, who will be the new world champions.
But the discussion also includes former Brazilian international and two-time world champion Marcos Evangelista de Moraes, known in sports as Cafu, who wants his country to face Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
Cafu analyzes the World Cup finalists
With his sights set on the tournament to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19, the former Roma and Milan player sees the South American team as a strong contender and is excited by the prospect of facing them in the final match of the tournament.
“It’s going to be a great final. I was already thinking… Argentina vs. Brazil in the World Cup final in the United States would be great,” he said in an interview with TNT Sports.
Cafu is an authority on finals and World Cups, winning not once but twice, in the 1994 U.S. tournament and in 2002 in South Korea and Japan.
The 55-year-old former player, who is hoping for a Super Clasico in South America, revealed that he is confident in the work of Brazil national team coach Carlo Ancelotti and can bring home a sixth World Cup. “Brazil is always the protagonist, especially when we talk about the World Cup. Brazil is a team that knows what they are doing and they are the team to beat. I am sure Brazil will have a great tournament.”
Furthermore, the legendary full-back of the Brazilian national team analyzed the Albiceleste, who defeated France on December 18, 2022 at the Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar, and enters this tournament as the current world champions.
“Argentina are the defending champions, the defending World Cup champions, and they will be a very tough team in the World Cup,” reflected team captain Lionel Messi, “(He) will come to the World Cup with a lot of responsibility, with a lot of commitment.Messi knows that he is a pillar of the Argentina national team, and Argentina also knows that playing with Messi they will be a very difficult team.”
Brazil will be in Group C along with Morocco, Haiti and Scotland. They will make their debut against Morocco on Saturday, June 13th at New Jersey Stadium in New York. Meanwhile, Argentina will be placed in Group J alongside Austria, Algeria and Jordan and will make their debut against Algeria on Tuesday 16 June.
However, Lionel is yet to confirm his participation in the competition and Neymar will need to recover “100%” from his injury to be included in Ancelotti’s squad. We will have to wait to see if the finalists chosen by Cafu will participate in the grand final.
