World Cup Preview: Argentina
The world's most in-form team has a point to prove after 2018
Previous World Cup appearances: 1930, 1934, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018
Best finish: Champions (1978, 1986)
Group stage schedule: vs. Saudi Arabia (Nov. 22), vs. Mexico (Nov. 26), vs. Poland (Nov. 30)
Note: All stats accurate as of Aug. 30, 2022.
The breakdown
How they qualified: Argentina finished second out of 10 teams in CONMEBOL qualifying. They won 11 of their 17 games and drew the other six. The 18th game was suspended after Brazilian health officials came onto the field requesting four Argentine players accused of violating COVID-19 protocols be quarantined1. It was eventually canceled2.
Names to know:
Ángel Di María (Juventus) — Di María’s 122 caps are the fourth-most in the history of the Argentine national team, and his 25 goals rank seventh3. He produced three goals and an assist in 13 appearances in qualifying and scored the only goal of the Copa América final against Brazil. Di María won a Champions League and a La Liga title with Real Madrid and five Ligue 1 titles with PSG prior to joining Juventus as a free agent over the summer.
Rodrigo De Paul (Atlético Madrid) — The team leader in starts during World Cup qualifying with 16, De Paul’s four goal involvements were tied for the fourth-most in the squad. He also contributed a goal and an assist in Argentina’s Copa América triumph last year. The 28-year-old made 31 starts across all competitions last season following his move from Udinese to Atlético Madrid.
Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan) — Exactly half of Martínez’s 20 international goals came at the 2021 Copa América or during qualifying. He led the team with seven non-penalty goals in the qualifying campaign and ranked second in goals per 90 minutes. His steady improvement at the club level continued with 26 goals across all competitions in 2021-22, 21 of which came in Serie A as he finished as the league’s second-leading scorer.
Lionel Messi (PSG) — Finally winning an international tournament seems to have unleashed a liberated version of Messi who can actually enjoy representing his country. He has 86 international goals, 31 more than Argentina’s second-leading goalscorer, Gabriel Batistuta4. This will be the last time Messi is anywhere near his peak at a World Cup, so be sure to take it all in.
Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica) — No player logged more minutes for Argentina during qualifying than the veteran defender, who also started five of the team’s seven games at Copa América in 2021. He won the Premier League twice in his five seasons at Manchester City and moved to Portuguese power Benfica in September 2020. Otamendi’s 90 caps put him eighth on the all-time list5.
Potential breakout star: Nicolás González (Fiorentina)
González came into his own during qualifying with three goals and an assist in just 607 minutes of action. In his fourth international appearance, the 24-year-old played the full 90 minutes and scored in a qualifier against Paraguay. He joined Fiorentina from German side Stuttgart prior to the 2021-22 season and produced seven goals and six assists in 33 Serie A appearances.
Note: González will miss the tournament through injury.
The bottom line
Reason for optimism: Form, form, form
Argentina are currently on the longest unbeaten streak in the history of men’s international soccer with their last loss coming to Brazil in the semifinals of the 2019 Copa América6. The harmony and joy that's been lacking throughout Messi's international career arrived at a convenient time.
Biggest question: What team shows up?
They went all the way to the final at the 2014 World Cup and got to the knockout stage again in 2018 without winning a single game by multiple goals. Their most impressive performance in the two tournaments might have been the 4-3 loss to France that spelled the end of their time in Russia. They simply have to play better in Qatar.
Here’s the deal:
This is the most cohesive unit Messi’s played with, and he’s never been in a better position to win a World Cup as a result. They’re among the favorites for completely valid reasons. Only time will tell if it all comes together.