No international rivalry carries more weight than Brazil against Argentina — the Superclásico de las Américas, a feud of legends from Pelé and Maradona to Lionel Messi and Vinícius Júnior.
Between them the neighbours own eight World Cups — Brazil's record five and Argentina's three — and the scars run deep on both sides. Argentina's modern highpoint came in 2021, when Messi finally won his first major international title by beating Brazil in a Copa América final at the Maracanã itself, before lifting the World Cup a year later in Qatar.
In North America the rivalry resumes at a distance: Argentina open the defence of their crown while Brazil face an early heavyweight test against Morocco. The bracket-watchers know what everyone wants — a meeting deep in the knockouts, with Messi's last dance against the Seleção's next generation.
Read the profiles of Messi and Vinícius, and star both teams' games on your must-watch list.