Argentina 3-1 Brazil: O Selecao player ratings as Vinicius Jr. and Raphinha unable to inspire against rivals despite Lionel Messi's absence 

Brazil will be thankful Lionel Messi was unavailable for their clash against Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers. Vinicius Jr. and Raphinha simply did not have the platform to build against the World champions in one of the worst Selecao performances in recent years.

Matheus Cunha scored his nation's solitary goal in the 26th minute to halve the deficit after Julian Alvarez (4') and Enzo Fernandez (12') opened the scoring. However, Alexis MacAllister (37') and Guliano Simeone(71') found the back of the net to secure a 4-1 win for the World Champions.

Brazil Player Ratings

Bento Krepski- 5/10

The Al-Nassr keeper was poor for Brazil, conceding four times from the seven shots he faced—the 25-year-old hopes to perform better if given the chance to represent his country again.

Wesley- 5.5/10

The 21-year-old was another away team member who will be thankful Lionel Messi was unavailable. His poor performance did not allow Vinicius Jr and Raphinha to combine effectively higher up the pitch.

Marquinhos- 5/10

Lionel Messi's former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) teammate was uncharacteristically poor for his country. In 90 minutes, he made one tackle and won one duel.

Murillo- 6/10

The Nottingham Forest star did not have a good game for Brazil and was axed at halftime in the clash with Argentina. He made six defensive actions before Leo Ortiz replaced him.

Guilherme Arana- 5.5/10

The Brazilian star performed poorly and did little to provide a platform for Vinicius Jr and Raphinha to build off in attack.

Andre-5.5/10

The Wolverhampton Wanderers star had a poor game against Argentina, and despite not playing against Lionel Messi on the day, he barely got on the ball. The Brazilian looked good with his 45 touches, but did too little in his 84 minutes on the pitch.

Joelinton- 5.5/10

The Newcastle United star did not have a good game against Argentina and was one of the worst players on the pitch before being taken off at Halftime. He committed one foul and made one recovery before Joao Gomes replaced him at halftime.

Rodrygo Goes- 6/10

The Real Madrid star had a poor game. He could not effectively link up with Raphinha and his Los Blancos teammate Vinicius Jr. against a Lionel Messi-free Argentina. He came off at halftime for Endrick after failing to complete a dribble and winning three of six duels.

Matheus Cunha- 8/10

The Wolverhampton Wanderers star was the star for his country, despite Vinicius Jr and Raphinha being on the pitch against Argentina. He picked Christian Romero's pocket to score his side's goal before coming off for Savinho in the 70th minute.

Raphinha- 7/10

Raphinha had an impressive individual performance for Brazil while failing to strike up a connection with Vinicius Jr. The Barcelona forward struck the woodwork once but could not do enough to prevent an Argentina team without Lionel Messi romping to victory.

Vinicius Jr- 7.5/10

Despite failing to connect with Raphinha for Brazil against an Argentina team without Lionel Messi, Vinicius Jr performed well. He completed the most dribbles in the match (7) and won seven of nine duels.

Brazil Substitutions

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Leo Ortiz- 5/10

The Flamengo defender came on for Murillo at halftime and was arguably worse than the 22-year-old against an Argentina team sans Lionel Messi. He lost four of five duels, committed three fouls, and picked up a yellow card.

Joao Gomes- 6.5/10

The Wolverhampton Wanderers star came on for Joelinton at halftime and helped his country improve its midfield performance. He completed 20 of 23 passes and won four of six duels.

Endrick- 6/10

The Real Madrid star came on for Rodrigo Goes but did not link up any better with Vinícius Jr or Raphinha. The teenager managed 10 touches and completed just two passes while failing to take a shot or create a chance.

Savinho- 6/10

The Manchester City star came on for Matheus Cunha. He did not have the impact to influence the game, failing to strike up a connection with Vinicius Jr and Raphinha in the defeat. He managed eight touches, from which he completed four of six passes.

Ederson- NA

The Atalanta midfielder came on late and had no time to affect the match.

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