Chile v Argentina Prediction and Betting Tip - Odds, H2H and Preview Predictions

Chile v Argentina Prediction:

With club football now coming to an end for most leagues around the world, attention turns to international football, and on Friday morning, Chile will host Argentina in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. With four games remaining in the CONMEBOL qualifiers - essentially South America's version of the qualification process - Argentina currently sit top of the group with 31 points, a massive eight points ahead of Ecuador. However, that gap doesn't mean too much, as seven out of the 10 sides can still qualify.

As for Chile, their chances of making the 2026 World Cup are looking very slim, they currently find themselves rock bottom of the group with just 10 points from 14 games. While automatic qualification is effectively out of reach, there is still a faint possibility that they could secure the seventh spot, currently held by Venezuela on 15 points, which would give them a chance to enter the playoffs and potentially snatch a place. However, to keep those hopes alive, Chile must pick up points on Friday, which seems increasingly unlikely, especially considering the strong form of their visitors.

As the match approaches, here is everything you need to know about the clash.

Where to Watch

This match is not available to watch anywhere in the UK.

Key Stats:

• Argentina have scored 26 goals in the group stage, the most of any side so far
• Chile have conceded 21 times so far, the second worst record in the group
• Argentina have been first to score in their last six international games

Chile v Argentina Previews, Form and Players to Watch:

Chile Preview:

Chile come into this match having really struggled to build any kind of consistent form in these qualifiers. They’ve managed just one win from their last eight games in the group, with that win coming back in November, a 4-2 victory at home against Venezuela - exactly the type of result they will desperately need on Friday. During the last international break, Chile did manage to tighten things up at the back. Before those two games, they had conceded 13 goals in six matches, however, in the last two games, they only conceded once and even managed to pick up a point at home to Ecuador, which might suggest that the tide is slowly turning for the South American side. While their chances are slim, there are small signs of improvement that they’ll hope to build on in this clash.

Predicted Line Up (4-3-3): Cortés; Loyola, Maripán, Díaz, Suazo; Vidal, Echeverría, Pizarro; Osorio, Zampedri, Valdés

Starting striker Diego Valdés has been omitted from this international break due to injury, and his absence will undoubtedly be a blow for Chile. Potentially, Zampedri will step in for him, having replaced Valdés in the second half of the draw against Ecuador. However, a change up front may have been on the cards for La Roja regardless, as they have been struggling for goals throughout the qualifiers, having only scored nine goals in total so far. A fresh approach in attack could provide the spark they need to cause an upset on Friday and rekindle their slim chances of qualification.

Argentina Preview:

Unlike Chile, Argentina come into this match in untouchable form, having won four of their last five games, including three straight victories, of which, one of those included a commanding 4-1 thrashing of their historic rivals, Brazil. In those five games, Argentina have scored 13 goals, a key factor in why they’ve already secured qualification and sit at the top of the group. Their away form is also impressive, with four wins from seven games on the road this season, conceding only five times in those matches.

Predicted Line Up (4-2-3-1): Martínez; Barco, Otamendi, Troilo, Molina; Fernández, De Paul; Lo Celso, Álvarez, Martínez; Messi

Last time out against Brazil, Argentina deployed Enzo Fernández as a striker alongside Julián Álvarez, and he impressed in that role, scoring a goal and providing an assist, earning a 9.0 match rating. However, with the return of Argentina's all-time top scorer, Lionel Messi, it’s likely Fernández will drop back into his preferred midfield position. Alongside him, Lautaro Martínez could return up top, which would create a devastating front three of Messi, Martínez, and Álvarez. This attacking trio has the potential to strike fear into any international side, let alone Chile, who will be facing a formidable Argentina attack on Friday.

Head-to-Head Stats - Chile v Argentina

Coming into Friday’s game, a look through the head-to-head stats shows that Argentina have had the upper hand in recent years, and quite unsurprisingly, they have been the more successful side. In fact, Argentina are unbeaten in their last five meetings against Chile, having won the last three. You’d have to go back to 2021 to find the last time Chile took points off Argentina, with a 1-1 draw being the result in that encounter.

• Argentina 3 - 0 Chile, September 2024
• Chile 0 - 1 Argentina, June 2024
• Chile 1 - 2 Argentina, January 2022
• Argentina 1 - 1 Chile, June 2021
• Argentina 1 - 1 Chile, June 2021

Betting Tips for Chile v Argentina

With all of that said, our team of betting experts recommend that the best tip for this game is Chile to Win or Draw. With the odds currently at 2.04 on Highbet, a £10 stake could see a potential return of up to £20.40.

(odds subject to change)

Final Prediction:

With Argentina already qualified and having little to play for, and Chile being desperate for a win, we think there’s a slight chance that Chile could steal something from this game. Given the circumstances, we think the score could potentially be:

Chile 1-1 Argentina