For a change, the eyes of football world will turn to the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia when Lionel Messi's Argentina take on Neymar's Brazil in an international this June. (More Football News)
Confirming the development, the Victoria state government on Wednesday said that Argentina vs Brazil ‘Superclasico’ will be played at the MCG on June 11.
"To have two of the most successful football teams in the world return to the MCG to continue their long-standing rivalry reinforces our position as one of the world’s great sporting cities and Australia's event capital,” Victoria’s Sports Minister Martin Pakula said.
The MCG will also host the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 final, scheduled for November 13. The T20 World Cup in Australia starts on October 16.
It's worth noting that in 2017, some 95,000 fans witnessed a friendly between the South American giants at the same venue. Then, a Messi strike helped Albiceleste beat Selecao 1-0.
"Football is known as the world game and a match of this calibre will put millions of eyes on Melbourne and attract thousands of visitors to Victoria," Pakula added.
But the last time the teams met, in a FIFA World Cup 2022, South American qualifying match, the game was sensationally abandoned.
After only a few minutes into the game, Brazilian health authorities invaded the field to deport four Argentine players accused of violating coronavirus quarantine regulations.
That suspended September 2021 match in Sao Paulo match has not been replayed. Buth the Brazil and Argentina have qualified for the World Cup in Qatar.
And the MCG match could provide Paris Saint-Germain stars, Lionel Messi and Neymar with an opportunity for pre-World Cup action.
Now known as Superclasico de las Americas, Argentina vs Brazil is probably the most-followed international fixture. FIFA, the game's governing body, even termed the fixture between the two South American giants as the "essence of football rivalry".
Argentina lead Brazil 49-40 in the head-to-head record, with 26 others ending in draws.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 kicks off on November 21. The final is scheduled for December 18.
Argentina, the two-time winners (1978, 1986), are in Group C along with Mexico, Poland and Saudi Arabia. They play their first match on November 22 in Lusail against Saudi Arabia.
Brazil, the most successful side, are in Group G along with Cameroon, Serbia and Switzerland. The five-time champions (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) start their campaign against Serbia on November 22 in Lusail.
