MEXICO CITY, JUN 10: Argentina begins in Group J and will be confronted with the burden of expectations as it attempts to piece together a strong World Cup defence.
Brazil was the last nation to triumph in consecutive editions, in 1958 and 1962, and La Albiceleste have a shot at emulating the feat after 64 years, given their canter through the Copa America and South American World Cup qualification.
However, despite the presence of big names, an ageing unit casts a pall over the side’s title challenge. Head coach Lionel Scaloni’s squad includes 17 players from the World-conquering side from four years back, and seven of these are over 30 years old – Messi (38), Rodrigo de Paul (32), Emiliano Martinez (33) and Nicolas Otamendi (38) being the most notable ones. Having to rotate its regular starters might not be the safest bet in the high-stakes cauldron of the World Cup.
But familiarity brings consistency and Argentina would bank on it to build a campaign. The only major switch forced on Argentina came with the retirement of Angel di Maria after its Copa America win in June 2024.
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For all its attacking flair, Argentina under Scaloni has not compromised on defence.
For all its attacking flair, Argentina under Scaloni has not compromised on defence. | Photo Credit: AP
Scaloni tested his team’s depth across multiple set-ups through the World Cup qualification cycle, including 4-4-2, 4-3-3, and 4-2-3-1, and the left-flank was manned by Thiago Almada in most instances.
Julian Alvarez’s recent surge at Atletico Madrid yielded 20 goals and nine assists and adds weight to Argentina’s attack, which will still see Messi pull the strings for a major part. Scaloni has had no major reasons to tinker with his midfield and defence, which will bear a similar look to the 2022 team.
Player to watch out for
Lionel Messi: Messi will turn 39 during the tournament and will be featuring in his sixth and final World Cup. Though out of the limelight of European football, he is still used to running the show at Inter Miami. Up for grabs this time will be the record for most goals in World Cup history. He needs four goals to overtake Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 goals.
Coach
Scaloni has been at the helm since 2018 and besides taking Argentina to two Copa America titles and a World Cup, he has managed to create a battle-tested group of players. For all its attacking flair, Argentina under Scaloni has not compromised on defence. Argentina kept the second-most clean sheets through South America’s qualification and it will be tough to beat at the World Cup.
Predicted lineup (4-2-3-1)
Martinez; Tagliafico, Lisandro, Romero, Molina; Enzo, MacAllister, De Paul; Almada, Messi, Alvarez
World Cup stats
Appearances: 18
Best finish: Champion (1978, 1986, 2022)
FIFA ranking: 3
Matches played: 88
Won: 47
Drawn: 17
Lost: 24
GF: 152
GA: 101
Highest active goalscorer: Lionel Messi (13)
Squad
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez, Gerónimo Rulli, Juan Muso
Defenders: Leandro Balerdi, Nicolás Tagliafico, Gonzalo Montiel, Lisandro Martínez, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, Facundo Medina, Nahuel Molina
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Valentín Barco, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández
Forwards: Julián Álvarez, Lionel Messi, Nicolás González, Thiago Almada, Giuliano Simeone, Nico Paz, Lautaro Martinez
