Hello! International men`s football action concluded dramatically on Tuesday with Argentina`s resounding victory over Brazil. Meanwhile, the US Women`s National Team is preparing for their upcoming international matches with a newly announced squad. I`m Pardeep Cattry, bringing you the latest updates.
Argentina`s Four-Goal Show Against Brazil
Even without Lionel Messi, Argentina, the current world champions, demonstrated their strength by defeating Brazil 4-1 on Tuesday. This victory also secured their place in the 2026 World Cup. Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandez quickly established a 2-0 lead for Argentina within the first 12 minutes. Although Matheus Cunha narrowed the gap with a goal in the 26th minute, Alexis Mac Allister and Giuliano Simeone scored further goals, ensuring a dominant win for the home side.
Argentina finishes this international break with an eight-point lead over second-place Ecuador and has qualified for the World Cup with five games remaining. This highlights the success of their qualifying campaign. Despite Messi leading the CONMEBOL qualifying chart with six goals, coach Lionel Scaloni has effectively tested the team`s capabilities without the 37-year-old star. Tuesday`s win exemplifies these successful adjustments, showcasing Argentina`s depth.
- Booth: `Argentina displayed their squad depth impressively, overcoming the absence of both Messi and striker Lautaro Martinez, who was sidelined due to injury. Players like Alvarez and Fernandez celebrated their goals in Martinez`s honor, emphasizing the team effort. Each of Argentina`s four goals was scored by a different player. While some goals resulted from Brazilian defensive errors, these were partly induced by Argentina`s fluid passing, which even allowed defender Nicolas Tagliafico to contribute with an assist.`
Brazil concludes the month in fourth place, within the automatic qualification spots for the 2026 World Cup. They hold a six-point advantage over Venezuela in seventh place (playoff spot) and seven points over Bolivia in eighth. World Cup qualification still seems probable for Brazil, but their performance remains questionable. Despite fielding attacking talents like Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Raphinha, they managed only three shots against Argentina, with Cunha`s goal being their only shot on target.
Argentina is among the first four non-host nations to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, joining Japan, New Zealand, and Iran. Currently, 41 spots are still available in the expanded 48-team World Cup.
Rodman`s Return to USWNT
Trinity Rodman is set to rejoin the US Women`s National Team for the first time since last summer`s Olympic Games. She will participate in the upcoming friendlies against Brazil next month. Rodman is one of the more experienced players in a squad that includes many new faces, as head coach Emma Hayes continues to experiment while preparing for the 2027 Women`s World Cup.
Here is the full roster:
- Goalkeepers (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United)
- Defenders (8): Alana Cook (Kansas City Current), Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC), Crystal Dunn (Paris Saint-Germain), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC)
- Midfielders (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Heaps (Olympique Lyon), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current), Jaedyn Shaw (North Carolina Courage), Lily Yohannes (Ajax)
- Forwards (7): Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC)
Hayes will work with 11 players who have fewer than 10 international appearances, including goalkeepers Phallon Tullis-Joyce and defender Avery Patterson, who could make their debut appearances. Defender Alana Cook and forward Ashley Hatch might also play their first minutes under Hayes, reflecting the coach’s effort to broaden the player pool. This strategy includes collaboration with the U-23 USWNT, which will hold a camp concurrently with the senior team, similar to the Futures camp in January.
As Hayes continues to test new players and tactics, the goalkeeper position remains a key focus after Alyssa Naeher`s retirement at the end of 2024. Hayes has maintained the same goalkeeper group from the SheBelieves Cup and aims to finalize her choice for the USWNT`s new starting goalkeeper by June. This puts pressure on the goalkeepers to perform well both at the club level and with the national team to seize this opportunity.
- Hayes: `Each of the goalkeepers vying for a spot needs to perform. Even when Alyssa [Naeher] initially claimed the number one position, it took time to solidify. We have several high-quality goalkeepers. Who will emerge as the primary choice? It’s uncertain, but they must capitalize on their chances. This is a performance-driven environment, and every opportunity is crucial for my decision-making as we progress. There will be further changes in goal during this camp.`
The USWNT will first play Brazil on April 5 at SoFi Stadium, followed by a second match against Brazil on April 8 at PayPal Park in San Jose.
