Africa Braced For First Brazil v Argentina World Cup Final

At the risk of dismissing the World Cup Quarterfinals and Semi-finals as non-events, it is quickly becoming clear that Brazil and Argentina are on course for their first World Cup Final face-off.

The first World Cup to be staged in Africa still holds hope for several of the planet’s best football nations – Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany – but look no further than the mighty Brazil and Argentina when July 11th rolls around.

Breezing into the Quarter-finals on the back of convincing Round of 16 victories, Brazil and Argentina have grown from strength to strength over the course of the tournament. Scoring goals with ease and firming up their notoriously loose back-lines, neither side has really been ruffled this whole tournament.

But the similarities don’t stop there. Both countries are managed by home-grown icons who have revolutionized their nation’s style of football. Former World Cup winning captain Dunga has brought a steely grit and determination to Brazil‘s collection of flicks and tricks offering up a 21st century Brazil stripped of its playboy image and equipped with the best goalkeeper in the world and a powerful and pacy defence. While Argentina have historically produced world class attacking talent in the mould of Mario Kempes, Ariel Ortega and Gabriel Batistuta – Diego Maradona has taken his living on the edge mantra back to the national football team by fielding an impressive six attacking players in Argentina‘s starting XI. Prior to the tournament, Maradona announced that he would run through the streets of Buenos Aires naked if Argentina won the World Cup. If Argentina continue to dismantle the opposition in the same rich vein displayed up to this point (4-1 routing of South Korea, 3-1 thrashing of Mexico) then there could be some pretty nauseating footage beamed around the world come the end of the tournament.

Brazil and Argentina share a combined 7 World Cup trophies between them. With one of the two super powers of world football appearing in 11 of the 18 total World Cup Finals to date, Brazil and Argentina clearly offer the rich pedigree worthy of a first World Cup Final in Africa. When the World Cup rolls around it’s always the safe bet to throw a few quid at Brazil or Argentina, it could never be more true this year. Brazil and Argentina are the only two countries to win a World Cup outside their continent – Brazil in 1958, 1970, 1994 and 2002, and Argentina in 1986. The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Unified Germany have never won the tournament full stop.

Brazil and Argentina are odds on to finally meet in Soccer City