Brazil vs Venezuela

The 2026 World Cup qualifying showdown between Brazil and Venezuela at Arena Pantanal has all the makings of a ‘David vs Goliath’ clash.

It’s been over eight years since five-time world champions Brazil last lost a World Cup qualifying game (W28, D8), suggesting their bid to secure a 23rd consecutive appearance at the final tournament is a mere formality. Interim manager Fernando Diniz has already laid the groundwork for that astonishing achievement, with the ‘Selecao’ thumping Bolivia 5-1 in their opening 2026 World Cup qualifier before squeezing past Peru 1-0 last time out, courtesy of Marquinhos’ injury-time winner. Owners of another mind-blowing feat, the Brazilians have never lost a home match in World Cup qualifying, while they’ve won their last 15 such fixtures on the bounce. Since kicking off that run in September 2016, they’ve netted 2+ goals in 13 of their 15 victories, with 12 impressively coming ‘to nil.’

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s bid to throw a spanner in the works looks far-fetched, considering their long-standing struggles against Brazil in World Cup qualifying H2Hs. They have only won one point across 18 such meetings (D1, L17) down the years, so their underdog status in this encounter is hardly a surprise. Furthermore, the visitors have won just three of their last 14 World Cup qualifying outings (W3, L11), though they emerged 1-0 winners against Paraguay in their most recent such contest in September. However, ‘La Vinotinto’ cannot afford to rest on their laurels, knowing they’ve won just one World Cup qualifying game on hostile turf during the past decade. That perhaps best explains why they’ve never qualified for the most prominent international tournament in history.