Argentina–Brazil football rivalry


The Argentina–Brazil football rivalry is a sports rivalry between the national football teams of the two countries and their respective sets of fans. Games between the two teams, even those that are only friendly matches, are often marked by notable and sometimes controversial incidents. This rivalry is also called the "Battle of the Americas." FIFA have described it as the "essence of football rivalry", ESPN FC ranked it top of their list of rivalries between national sides, while CNN ranked it second on their top 10 list of international rivalries—only below the older England–Scotland football rivalry.
Even to passionate football fans, Argentina–Brazil matches are often noteworthy for the sheer level of competitiveness and talent of the two squads. Brazil and Argentina are the two teams with the highest average Elo Rating calculated over the entire team history, with 1994 and 1984 respectively. Both are also routinely ranked among the top ten national teams in the world in both the FIFA World Rankings and the World Football Elo Ratings. Both countries have produced players considered at the time as the best in the world, such are the cases of José Manuel Moreno, Adolfo Pedernera, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Omar Sívori, Mario Kempes, Diego Maradona, Fernando Redondo, Gabriel Batistuta or Lionel Messi for Argentina, and Pelé, Garrincha, Zico, Romario, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká or Neymar for Brazil.

Major official titles comparison

Origins

The origins of the football rivalry between Argentina and Brazil can be traced to a time before football became so popular in both countries. Today, few remember wars and other political confrontations between both countries, and only recall matches, victories, goals and other sport-related incidents. Their rivalry is found in almost all sports, but a men's football match between Argentina and Brazil is one that neither side wants to lose, and often acquires more importance than the championship within which it takes place. To exemplify the intensity of this rivalry, one only needs to remember that after the 1946 incidents, the two teams did not play against each other for ten years; either team would decline to play a given cup so that they would never have to play against the neighboring country.
Since their first match in 1914, the national teams have played 105 matches counting friendlies, FIFA World Cup matches, and other official competitions.
Even though there is a difference depending on whether the Argentine Football Association or the Brazilian Football Confederation does the counting, the near-balance is not in dispute. According to FIFA, of the 105 matches played between both national teams, Argentina and Brazil hold 38 and 41 victories, respectively, with 26 draws. Argentina has 160 goals, while Brazil has 163. Only counting World Cup matches, Brazil is slightly ahead with two wins, one draw and one loss, whereas in the Copa América matches, Argentina holds a comfortable lead with 14 victories, 8 draws and 9 defeats. Of the 60 friendly matches, 25 went to Brazil, 20 to Argentina and 16 were draws.
Since the first match between the two countries in 1914, Argentina dominated the early years with more than double of the Brazilian victories. This is even when Brazil was world champion in 1958 and 1962. However, the 1970s proved to be dark times for Argentina, with seven defeats, four draws and only one victory, although it should be mentioned that one of the draws came in the 1978 World Cup played in Argentina. The 0–0 draw actually helped Argentina reach their second World Cup final and their first World Cup title. In the 1978 World Cup, Brazil was left behind, playing for third place.
The highest scoring wins between these two nations were for Argentina 6–1 and 1–5, for Brazil 6–2 and 1–4.
The most important victory matches between these two nations were, for Argentina, the 2–0 match in the 1937 Copa América final, the tie 0–0 in the 1978 World Cup that helped them to reach the final and their first World Cup title, and the 1–0 victory over Brazil in the 1990 World Cup which eliminated Brazil from the World Cup in the Round of 16. For Brazil, most important were two Copa America victories in the Copa America finals. The first, in Peru in 2004, saw Brazil win in a penalty shootout after a draw, and the second was a win in the 2007 Copa América final played in Venezuela. Another important victory for Brazil was the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup final, where the Brazilians defeated Argentina 4–1 in the decisive match.

Results

List of all the matches played by both sides since their first game in 1914:
DateVenueScoreWinnerCommentsSeries
15 Nov 2019 Riyadh0–1ArgentinaFriendly-
2 July 2019 Belo Horizonte2–0Brazil2019 Copa América-
16 October 2018 Jeddah0–1BrazilFriendly-
9 June 2017 Melbourne0–1ArgentinaFriendly-
10 November 2016 Belo Horizonte0–3Brazil2018 World Cup qualifier-
13 November 2015 Buenos Aires1–1Draw2018 World Cup qualifier-
12 October 2014 Beijing2–0BrazilSuperclásico de las Américas-
21 November 2012 Buenos Aires2–1 ArgentinaSuperclásico de las Américas-
19 September 2012 Goiânia2–1BrazilSuperclásico de las Américas-
9 June 2012 East Rutherford4–3ArgentinaFriendly-
28 September 2011 Belém2–0BrazilSuperclásico de las Américas-
14 September 2011 Córdoba0–0DrawSuperclásico de las Américas-
17 November 2010 Doha1–0ArgentinaFriendly-
5 September 2009 Rosario3–1Brazil2010 World Cup qualifier-
18 June 2008 Belo Horizonte0–0Draw2010 World Cup qualifier-
15 July 2007 Maracaibo3–0Brazil2007 Copa América-
3 September 2006 London3–0BrazilFriendly-
29 June 2005 Frankfurt4–1Brazil2005 Confederations Cup-
8 June 2005 Buenos Aires3–1ArgentinaWorld Cup 2006 Qualifier-
25 July 2004 Lima2 – 2Draw-Brazil won on penalties2004 Copa América-
2 June 2004 Belo Horizonte3–1Brazil2006 World Cup qualifier-
5 September 2001 Buenos Aires2–1Argentina2002 World Cup qualifier-
26 July 2000 São Paulo3–1Brazil2002 World Cup qualifier-
7 September 1999 Porto Alegre4–2BrazilFriendly-
4 September 1999 Buenos Aires2–0ArgentinaFriendly-
11 July 1999 Ciudad del Este2–1Brazil1999 Copa América-
29 April 1998 Rio de Janeiro0-1ArgentinaFriendly-
8 November 1995 Buenos Aires1–0BrazilFriendly-
17 July 1995 Rivera2 – 2Draw-Brazil won on penalties1995 Copa América-
23 March 1994 Recife2–0BrazilFriendly-
27 June 1993 Guayaquil1 – 1Draw-Argentina won on penalties1993 Copa América-
18 February 1993 Buenos Aires1–1DrawFriendly-
17 July 1991 Santiago3–2Argentina1991 Copa América-
27 June 1991 Curitiba1–1DrawFriendly-
27 March 1991 Buenos Aires3–3DrawFriendly-
24 June 1990 Turin1–0Argentina1990 World Cup-
12 July 1989 Rio de Janeiro2–0Brazil1989 Copa América-
10 July 1988 Melbourne0–0Draw1988 Gold Cup-
5 May 1985 Salvador2–1BrazilFriendly-
17 June 1984 São Paulo0–0DrawFriendly-
14 September 1983 Rio de Janeiro0–0Draw1983 Copa América-
24 August 1983 Buenos Aires1–0Argentina1983 Copa América-
2 July 1982 Barcelona 3–1Brazil1982 World Cup-
4 January 1981 Montevideo1–1Draw1980 Mundialito-
23 August 1979 Buenos Aires2–2Draw1979 Copa América-
2 August 1979 Rio de Janeiro2–1Brazil1979 Copa América-
18 June 1978 Rosario0–0Draw1978 World Cup-
19 May 1976 Rio de Janeiro2–0BrazilRoca Cup-
27 February 1976 Buenos Aires2–1BrazilAtlantic Cup-
16 August 1975 Rosario1–0Brazil1975 Copa América-
6 August 1975 Belo Horizonte2–1Brazil1975 Copa América-
30 June 1974 Hanover2–1Brazil1974 World Cup-
31 July 1971 Buenos Aires2–2DrawRoca Cup-
28 July 1971 Buenos Aires1–1DrawRoca Cup-
8 March 1970 Rio de Janeiro2–1BrazilFriendly-
4 March 1970 Porto Alegre2–0ArgentinaFriendly-
11 August 1968 Rio de Janeiro3–2BrazilFriendly-
7 August 1968 Rio de Janeiro4–1BrazilFriendly-
9 June 1965 Rio de Janeiro0–0DrawFriendly-
7 September 1964 São Paulo3–0BrazilFriendly-
3 June 1964 São Paulo3–0ArgentinaNations Cup-
16 April 1963 Rio de Janeiro5–2BrazilRoca Cup-
13 April 1963 São Paulo3–2ArgentinaRoca Cup-
24 March 1963 La Paz3–0Argentina1963 Copa América-
3 February 1962 Rio de Janeiro0–0DrawSA NOVOS-
12 July 1960 Rio de Janeiro5–1BrazilAtlantic Cup-
29 May 1960 Buenos Aires4–1BrazilRoca Cup-
26 May 1960 Buenos Aires4–2ArgentinaRoca Cup-
20 March 1960 San José1–0BrazilPanamerican Cup-
13 March 1960 San José2–1ArgentinaPanamerican Cup-
22 December 1959 Guayaquil4–1Argentina1959 Copa América-
4 April 1959 Buenos Aires1–1Draw1959 Copa América-
10 July 1957 São Paulo2–0BrazilRoca Cup-
7 July 1957 Rio de Janeiro2–1ArgentinaRoca Cup-
3 April 1957 Lima3–0Argentina1957 Sudamericano-
5 December 1956 Lima2–1ArgentinaFriendly-
8 July 1956 Avellaneda0–0DrawAtlantic Cup-
18 March 1956 Mexico City2–2DrawPanamerican Cup-
5 February 1956 Montevideo1–0Brazil1956 Sudamericano-
10 February 1946 Buenos Aires2–0Argentina1946 Sudamericano-
23 December 1945 Rio de Janeiro3–1BrazilRoca Cup-
20 December 1945 Rio de Janeiro6–2BrazilRoca Cup-
16 December 1945 São Paulo4–3ArgentinaRoca Cup-
15 February 1945 Santiago3–1Argentina1945 Sudamericano-
17 January 1942 Montevideo2–1Argentina1942 Sudamericano-
17 March 1940 Avellaneda5–1ArgentinaRoca Cup-
10 March 1940 Buenos Aires3–2BrazilRoca Cup-
5 March 1940 Buenos Aires6–1ArgentinaRoca Cup-
25 February 1940 São Paulo4–0BrazilRoca Cup-
18 February 1940 São Paulo2–2DrawRoca Cup-
22 January 1939 Rio de Janeiro1–5ArgentinaRoca Cup9–4–8 BRA
15 January 1939 Rio de Janeiro3–2ArgentinaRoca Cup8–4–8
1 February 1937 Buenos Aires2–0Brazil1937 Sudamericano8–4–7 BRA
30 January 1937 Buenos Aires4–0Brazil1937 Sudamericano7–4–7
25 December 1925 Buenos Aires2–2Draw1925 Sudamericano7–4–6 ARG
13 December 1925 Buenos Aires4–1Argentina1925 Sudamericano7–3–6 ARG
9 December 1923 Buenos Aires2–0ArgentinaRoca Cup6–3–6
2 December 1923 Montevideo2–0BrazilCopa Confraternidad6–3–5 BRA
18 November 1923 Montevideo2–1Argentina1923 Sudamericano5–3–5
22 October 1922 Rio de Janeiro2–2DrawRoca Cup5–3–4 BRA
15 October 1922 Rio de Janeiro2–0Brazil1922 Sudamericano5–2–4 BRA
2 October 1921 Buenos Aires1–0Argentina1921 Sudamericano4–2–4
12 October 1920 Valparaíso3–1ArgentinaFriendly4–2–3 BRA
25 September 1920 Valparaíso2–0Argentina1920 Sudamericano4–2–2 BRA
1 June 1919 Rio de Janeiro3–3DrawFriendly3–2–2 BRA
18 May 1919 Rio de Janeiro3–1Brazil1919 Sudamericano3–1–2 BRA
3 October 1917 Montevideo4–2Argentina1917 Sudamericano2–1–2
27 September 1916 Buenos Aires0-1brazilRoca Cup2–1–1 ARG
10 July 1916 Buenos Aires1–1Draw1916 Sudamericano2–1–0 ARG
27 September 1914 Buenos Aires1–0ArgentinaRoca Cup2–0–0 ARG
20 September 1914 Buenos Aires3–0ArgentinaFriendly1–0–0 ARG

;Notes

Pelé–Maradona rivalry

Among the elite group of players football fans consider as contenders for the title, best player of all time, Brazil's Pelé and Argentina's Diego Maradona are probably the most famous, and generally dominate polls on the subject. Some of their fellow countrymen also feature regularly in such debates. The next most notable pair are perhaps Garrincha and Alfredo Di Stéfano. The most dominant figures from the two countries in the modern game are Neymar and Lionel Messi. Both Pelé and Maradona have declared Neymar and Messi their respective "successors".
However, the over-riding discussion about which of Pelé and Maradona is the greater has proved to be never-ending. Even though most consider them as the best players of their own times, many consider the comparison between them useless, as they played during incomparable eras and in different leagues. The debate between the pair has been described as "the rivalry of their countries in microcosm".
Pelé was given the title "Athlete of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee. In 1999, Time magazine named Pelé one of the. Also, he was elected Football Player of the Century, by France Football's Golden Ball Winners in 1999, Football Player of the Century, by IFFHS International Federation of Football History and Statistics, 1999, South America Football Player of the Century, by IFFHS International Federation of Football History and Statistics. Pelé's 1281 goals are recognized by FIFA as the highest total achieved by a professional footballer, although the Soccer Statistic Foundation recognizes only 767 goals in official mode, occupying the third place after Josef Bican and Romario. For his part, Maradona has been named the best soccer player in World Cup history both by The Times and FourFourTwo, publication that also rewarded him as the "Best Football Player of All Time". He was also elected as the "Greatest Athlete in History" by Corriere dello Sport – Stadio.
and Brazilian Neymar, former teammates at Barcelona, have been described by Pelé and Maradona as their "successors"
The controversy reached a climax during the FIFA century awards in 2000, in which Maradona was voted Player of the Century in an official internet poll, garnering 53.6% of the votes against 18.53% for Pelé. Shortly before the ceremony, FIFA unexpectedly decided to add a second award and appointed a "Football Family" committee composed of football journalists that gave to Pelé the title of best player of the century to make it a draw. This move was criticized in Argentina, that suspected Pelé was rewarded for his constant support of FIFA, in contrast to Maradona's frequent criticism. Others believe that FIFA was considering issues other than football, notably Maradona's drug problem. Maradona left the ceremony right after receiving his award and before Pelé was given his.
In another internet poll that took place in 2002, Maradona received another award from FIFA, as one of his goals was selected as the World Cup Goal of the Century. One of Pelé's goals received third place, while Maradona had a second goal selected as fourth.
In spite of their frequent confrontations, usually through quotations by the media, Pelé was the guest star of Maradona's TV show La Noche del 10, where they had a friendly chat and played a bout of headers.
Famous players and football figures often give their opinion on the Maradona and Pelé rivalry, sometimes choosing one over the other. Others prefer not to compare them, as they played in very different times. Perhaps one of the most reliable comparisons available is that by the Ballon d'Or winners. Pelé was elected Best Player of the Century for Ballon d'Or winners and Maradona was the runner-up.

Pelé–Maradona personal statistics

Incidents and historical matches

1925 incident

For the 1925 Copa América, Argentina and Brazil played the final match at Sportivo Barracas Stadium, on Christmas Day. The unusual date was not an obstacle to drawing a crowd of more than 30,000 people. In a crowded stadium, the match started in a tense atmosphere: at 27 minutes intercepted a back pass by Ludovico Bidoglio and passed the ball to Arthur Friedenreich, who beat Américo Tesoriere with a strong shot. It was 1-0 for the Brazilians. Three minutes later, Nilo scored the second for the canarinha. The crowd was astonished, because if the Brazilian lead was maintained, a new match had to be played to determinate the champion. Before completing the first half, a dangerous counterattack by the visitors was stopped by Ramón Muttis with a strong foul on Friedenreich, who in turn, reacted with a kick. The Argentine responded with a punch at the Brazilian's face, and the incident unleashed a buzz among several players and also with some spectators who invaded the pitch. The game was suspended, and only resumed - without a sending-off - after a hug between Friedenreich and Muttis that sealed a truce. However, the incident made a dent in the Brazilian players and the match changed course: at the end of the first half Antonio Cerrotti reduced the deficit and opened the road to recovery. The equaliser came ten minutes into the second half through Manuel Seoane. The match ended tied 2–2, and Argentina won its second Copa America in history in a rugged match against Brazil. The incidents did not go unnoticed in Brazil and some local newspapers referred to the game as "The Barracas' War". Because of this match, Argentina and Brazil did not play-officially again for 11 years.

1937 incident

In the South American Championship 1937, the rivalry between both teams was already something of national pride. There were verbal confrontations between both parties, and Argentine fans often taunted the Brazilians by calling them macaquitos and making monkey sounds. The final match, held in Buenos Aires, was played between the two sides and was goalless after 90 minutes. In extra time, Argentina scored two goals. Questioning one of the goals and fearful for their own safety, the Brazilian players decided to leave the stadium before the match was officially finished. The Brazilian press has since called this match "jogo da vergonha". Argentina won, 2–0, and was South American champion again.

1939 incident

In 1939, there were two matches between Argentina and Brazil, both of them in Rio de Janeiro and for the Roca Cup. The first one, held in January, ended 5–1 to Argentina.
A second match was held only one week later, with the Brazilian team seeking revenge for the previous defeat. The match was vibrating; first Brazil went ahead 1–0, then Argentina recovered to lead 1–2, and Brazil then drew level at 2–2. Shortly before the end of the match the referee, the same as in the previous match, gave a penalty to Brazil. Furious, Argentina player Arcadio López verbally attacked the referee and had to be escorted out of the pitch by police. The Argentine team, enraged by the actions of the referee and the police, left the pitch. The penalty that gave Brazil the 3–2 victory was scored without a goalkeeper, because the entire Argentine team had already walked off the pitch.

1945 and 1946 incidents

In the 1945 match that Brazil won by six goals to two, young Brazilian Ademir Menezes fractured Argentine Batagliero's leg. Though it seemed to be only an unfortunate accident, the game was played roughly and sometimes violently.
A few months later, the South American Championship 1946 final again involved Argentina and Brazil. There was a large media coverage, and the conviction that it would be a rough match. Twenty-eight minutes after the beginning, when both teams went for a free ball, Brazilian Jair Rosa Pinto fractured Argentine captain José Salomón's tibia and fibula. General disorder ensued, with Argentine and Brazilian players fighting on the pitch with the police. The public invaded the pitch and both teams had to go to the dressing rooms. After order was restored the game continued, and Argentina won the match 2–0. Salomón never recovered completely nor played professional football after the incident.

1978 World Cup ("The Battle of Rosario")

The Group B of the second round was essentially a battle between Argentina and Brazil, and it was resolved in controversial circumstances. In the first round of group games, Brazil beat Peru 3–0 while Argentina saw off Poland 2–0. Brazil and Argentina then played out a tense and violent goalless draw – also known as "A Batalha de Rosário", so both teams went into the last round of matches with three points. Argentina had an advantage that their match against Peru kicked off several hours after Brazil's match with Poland. Brazil won their match 3–1, so Argentina could know that they had to beat Peru by four clear goals to go through to the final. Argentina managed it with what some saw as a suspicious degree of ease. Trailing 2–0 at half-time, Peru simply collapsed in the second half, and Argentina eventually won 6–0. Rumours suggested that Peru might have been somehow illicitly induced not to try too hard ; but nothing could be proved, and Argentina met the Netherlands in the final. Brazil, denied a final place by Argentina's 6–0 win over Peru, took third place from an enterprising Italy side and were dubbed "moral champions" by coach Cláudio Coutinho, because they did not win the tournament but did not lose a single match either.

1982 World Cup

Group C, a "group of death" with Brazil, Argentina and Italy, that World Cup history was made. In the opener, Italy prevailed 2–1 over Argentina. Argentina now needed a win over Brazil on the second day, but they were no match, as the Brazilians' attacking game, characterised by nimble, one-touch passing on-the-run, eclipsed the reigning world champions. The final score of 3–1 – Argentina only scoring in the last minute – could have been much higher had Brazil centre-forward Serginho not wasted a series of near-certain scoring opportunities. Frustrated because of the poor refereeing and the imminent loss, Diego Maradona kicked Brazilian player Batista and received a straight red card.

1990 World Cup (The "holy water" scandal)

The last time both teams met in a World Cup match was in 1990, which featured Argentina defeating Brazil 1–0 with a goal from Claudio Caniggia after a pass from Diego Maradona. The end of the match was controversial, however, with Brazilian player Branco accusing the Argentina training staff of giving him a bottle of water laced with tranquillizers while they were tending to an injured player. Years later, Maradona admitted the truth on an Argentine television show, saying that Branco had been given "holy water". The Argentine Football Association and the team coach of the time, Carlos Bilardo, denied that the "holy water" incident ever took place, though prior to the previous denial Bilardo said of Branco's allegation: "I'm not saying it didn't happen."

1991 Copa América match

Argentina defeated Brazil 3–2 in Santiago in the first match of the final pool. Five players were sent off: Claudio Caniggia and Mazinho after tangling in the 31st minute; Carlos Enrique and Márcio Santos for another fight in the 61st minute, with one player leaving on a stretcher; and Careca Bianchezi in the 80th minute, two minutes after coming on as a substitute.

1993 Copa América match

Argentina and Brazil finished 1–1 at the 8/final match, played in Guayaquil. Brazil started winning the game, but Leonardo Rodríguez drew with the head after a corner kick at the second part. In penalties, Los Gauchos defeated 5–4 and advanced to the quarter-finals. Argentina finally won the Copa América title after defeating Mexico in the final.

1995 Copa América match

Held in Uruguay, the two nations met at the quarter-finals stage on 17 July 1995. The Brazilian Túlio became famous for scoring a late equalizer five minutes from time after controlling the ball with his left arm. Despite the obvious foul, the referee, Alberto Tejada Noriega of Peru, claimed he did not see the incident and the goal therefore stood. The game finished with a 2–2 draw and Brazil went on to win on penalties. The Argentine media labeled the incident as the "hand of the devil", a reference to the controversial goal scored by Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup against England.

2004 Copa América

Argentina was winning 2–1, but in a spectacular turn of events, Adriano scored a goal in the last minute of the match, taking the match to penalties, where Brazil won with Júlio César stopping an impossible shot from Andrés D'Alessandro. Brazil was playing with its second-string team and this victory could be considered an underdog one.

2005 Confederations Cup Final

In 2005, Brazil and Argentina participated in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. Brazil entered the competition as the reigning World Cup champions at the time. Since Brazil had also won the Copa América the previous year, however, Copa runners-up Argentina was allowed to participate in the tournament to take up the vacated berth. In the semi-finals, Brazil eliminated host nation Germany, while Argentina eliminated Mexico. This competition was the first time the two rivals would meet in a final game of a tournament sponsored by FIFA. In a surprising turn of events, the Brazilian team won the game easily, thrashing the Argentines 4–1. Adriano scored twice for Brazil, along with Kaká and Ronaldinho, while Pablo Aimar scored Argentina's only goal.

2007 Copa América

Brazil defeated Argentina 3–0 in Maracaibo, Venezuela, at the final pool. Goals by Júlio Baptista, an own goal by Roberto Ayala, Dani Alves.

2008 Summer Olympics – Beijing

Defending champions Argentina and Brazil met on 19 August in the semifinal game of the Summer Olympics. The game, billed as a tête-à-tête between Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho, Barcelona teammates, was in the end a hard-fought clash between two historic rivals, marred by numerous fouls and two ejections for Brazil. Argentina convincingly won with a score of 3–0, and went on to beat Nigeria 1–0 in the final, being the first in obtaining two consecutive gold medals in football in 40 years and the third overall after the Olympic teams of the United Kingdom and Uruguay. Brazil eventually won the gold medal at the Olympics themselves playing at home in 2016.

Club level official titles comparison

In the history of this tournament, played since 1960, only twice has a Brazilian team captured a title on Argentine soil. In 1963, Brazilian side Santos defeated the most popular Argentine club, Boca Juniors, and in 2017, when Grêmio defeated Club Atlético Lanús. However, the same Argentine club team, Boca Juniors, has celebrated three of its six titles on Brazilian soil, defeating Palmeiras in 2000, Santos in 2003 and Grêmio in 2007. The two greatest Argentine and Brazilian players that have ever played this sport had at one point played in these same two clubs: Pelé for Santos while Diego Maradona had done the same for Boca Juniors. It has been reported that in all three of Boca Juniors' victories on Brazilian soil, Boca's players were not allowed to properly sleep in their hotel rooms the night before their final matches because of the chaos and noise created by Brazilian fans outside the hotel rooms, who attempted to disrupt the Argentine players from performing to their best of their abilities the following day.
In the international arena, the most successful Argentine clubs are Boca Juniors, Independiente, Estudiantes de La Plata, River Plate, Vélez Sársfield, San Lorenzo, Argentinos Juniors and Racing Club.
The most successful Brazilian clubs are São Paulo, Santos, Grêmio, Internacional, Cruzeiro, Corinthians, Flamengo,, Vasco da Gama, Atlético Mineiro and Palmeiras.

Women's football

The Brazil women's national team is a successful women's football team, though not as successful as the men's counterpart. It was runner-up in the FIFA Women's World Cup of 2007, and won a silver medal at the Olympic games in 2004 and 2008. In comparison, Argentina does not have a professional women's football league; the members of the Argentina women's national football team are all amateur players despite their clubs often being affiliated with prominent men's professional clubs. Although the two teams usually have to battle for the top qualification spots for CONMEBOL when the World Cup qualification comes around, this rivalry does not provide the passion that men's matches encounter yet.
Brazil won every game of the Sudamericano Femenino against Argentina until the 2006 edition, when Argentina finally beat them 2–0 in the final group stage, awarding Argentina the championship. Argentina did not participate in the 1991 South American competition and was second to Brazil in the following three tournaments. Beginning with the 2003 edition, both champion and runner-up qualified for the World Cup. As Argentina has not been past the group stages in the World Cup, the two teams have not met in the Olympic Football Tournament yet.