Brazil, Germany, Argentina win friendlies before World Cup

Leading football nations Brazil, Argentina, and Germany all registered victories in their final preparatory matches before the 2026 FIFA World Cup. While the margins were often slim, the friendlies provided crucial opportunities for teams to fine-tune their strategies and assess player form.

Argentina, led by Lautaro Martinez who scored and assisted in a 2-0 win over Honduras, opted to rest Lionel Messi. Brazil edged out Egypt 2-1, with goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Endrick, though they suffered a blow with a potential serious muscle injury to right back Wesley. Germany continued their strong run with a ninth consecutive win, defeating hosts United States 2-1 in Chicago. Kai Havertz opened the scoring, and Leroy Sane netted the winner after the U.S. had equalized.

England secured a narrow 1-0 victory against New Zealand, with captain Harry Kane scoring the decisive goal. Manager Thomas Tuchel rotated his squad extensively, giving minutes to 22 players in the challenging 32-degree Celsius heat. Portugal also claimed a 2-1 win over Chile in a heated match that saw both teams finish with 10 men. Bruno Fernandes, who scored the second goal for Portugal, commented on his team's performance, stating, "We were superior in the 90 minutes, we managed to control the game very well, especially having a lot of the ball in the last third."

Other teams like Scotland and Belgium also recorded wins. Romelu Lukaku made a return from injury for Belgium in their dominant 5-0 victory over 10-man Tunisia. The friendlies highlighted key player performances and tactical approaches as teams finalize their preparations for the upcoming World Cup.

“

We were superior in the 90 minutes, we managed to control the game very well, especially having a lot of the ball in the last third.