Argentina, who was defeated by France in the round of 16 of the last World Cup, is on a mission to Qatar to present the "last dance" to his star icon, Lionel Messi, while honoring Diego Maradona, the "best player of the 20th century". To the best of his ability, he is a serious outsider to the ultimate victory.
Under the leadership of Lionel Scaloni, Argentina began reconstruction four years ago. The coach, who was extended until 2026, has performed miracles since taking office: unbeaten since July 2019 (35 matches, 24 wins, 11 draws), and his Blanco won the last Copa America in 2021 for the first time in 28 years. Lionel Messi's season at Paris Saint-Germain started well, and the experience of his executives (Angel Di Maria, Nicolás Tagliafico, Leandro Paredes) and the rapid improvement of newcomers (Lisandro Martínez, Julián Alvarez) allowed him to take the game in stride.
The Argentine Armada is once again in the fight, still led by seven-time Lionel Messi of the Ballon d'Or. We also found former Parisians Angel di Maria and Leandro Paredes, but Giovanni Lo Celso was injured at the last minute. As usual, Argentina have plenty of attackers, but defensively it's hard to reassure, even with Christian Romero from Tottenham Hotspur and Lisandro Martinez from Manchester United.
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Villarreal), Franco Armani (River Plate)
Defenders: Molina (Atletico Madrid), Montiel (Sevilla), Christian Romero (Tottenham), Pezzera (Sevilla Betis), Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Marcos Acuna (Sevilla), Nicolás Tagliafico (OL), Juan Fois (Villarreal)
Midfielders: Rodrigo de Paul (Atletico Madrid), Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Alexis McAllister (Brighton), Guido Rodríguez (Betis Sevilla), Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla), Enzo Fernandez (Benfica), Exquier Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
Forwards: Di Maria (Juventus), Lautaro Martínez (Inter), Julian Alvarez (Manchester City), Nicolás González (Fiorentina), Joaquín Correa (Atletico Madrid), Paulo Dybala (Roma), Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
In recent months, Argentina have found a formula that works: in Qatar they should evolve into a resolutely attacking 4-3-3 formation, equipped with a promising Messi Martínez Di Maria offensive line. In the middle, Mike Alister replaced Giovanni Lo Celso, usually associated with Rodrigo de Paul and Paredes.
Player to watch: Lautaro Martinez
Lautaro Martinez is the most prolific striker he has chosen in the last two years, but Messi is an integral part of him. The 25-year-old Inter centre-forward, who has risen straight up since his debut at the racing club, will play in his first World Cup. El Toro is very fast and effective in tight spaces. Scoring 21 goals in Serie A last year, he may be one of Argentina's most lacking finishers in the past.
Argentina Tournament Schedule: