Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni says he has forgiven Raphinha for his jibe following the Albiceleste’s 4-1 win over Brazil in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Afrosport reports.
Before the highly anticipated encounter in Buenos Aires, Raphinha bragged confidently that the Selecao would win despite not doing so for 16 years in the Argentine capital.
It turned out to be an embarrassment for South America’s biggest country as Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Giuliano Simeone all found the back of the net to seal Argentina’s place in next year’s finals on the North American continent.
“I understand the situation; it’s Brazil against Argentina, and it doesn’t need to have statements like that to hype the game,” Scaloni said.
“It wasn’t because of that that we’ve played as we did. Not at all. So, I forgive Raphinha because I’m sure he didn’t do it on purpose; he’s defending his team.
“We all then give it some relevance because we prefer to have a heated game, but at the end of the day, Argentina, with or without statements, wanted to play its game, and they too.”
Another unforgettable night
pic.twitter.com/oRElWrUpzO
— Selección Argentina in English (@AFASeleccionEN) March 26, 2025
Meanwhile, Brazil head coach Dorival Junior admitted Argentina were superior and apologised to Selecao fans for the huge loss.
“I take full responsibility, as always. I’ll never stop taking the responsibility while being in charge of a team,” he said.
“This result is something no one expected to happen, and I take full responsibility for it. Everything we’ve planned beforehand unfortunately didn’t occur, from the very first minute.
“The Argentine team was superior in every aspect. I even want to apologize to the Brazilian fans because expectations were different from what we saw and did tonight.”
Argentina are top of the CONMEBOL standings, seven points clear of Ecuador, while Brazil are 10 points behind in fourth.
