"There are so many emotions," Lionel Messi said after what he called his final competitive international on home soil, a 3-0 win over Venezuela in September. The man turns 39 during the tournament. And yet, here we are — Messi is heading to another World Cup, chasing something no Argentine side has ever done.
Defending champions Argentina want to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups. That's the pitch. The reality is more complicated.
How much does Argentina actually rely on Messi?
More than they'd probably like to admit, but less than they did four years ago. Messi is still scoring for Inter Miami in MLS, still the most dangerous set-piece operator in the squad, still capable of the kind of vision that no one else on the planet replicates. But he's slower. He's lost physical sharpness. His minutes will need managing across what is a long, compressed tournament.
His value in 2026 might be less about goals and more about what happens around him — defenders collapsing onto him, creating space for Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez. That's not decline, it's adaptation. But it does mean Argentina's ceiling depends heavily on whether that supporting cast shows up.
Martinez finished Serie A with 17 goals for Inter Milan. Alvarez has been sharp in bursts for Atletico Madrid. The midfield — Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, De Paul — is legitimate Premier League and La Liga quality. This is not a squad built around one man anymore. It just still feels that way.
Scaloni's squad choices raised eyebrows
Coach Lionel Scaloni left out Franco Mastantuono — 18 years old, left-footed, already making noise at Real Madrid — and Alejandro Garnacho, Chelsea's electric if unpredictable winger. Both omissions will be debated throughout the tournament, especially if Argentina's attack runs dry late in games. Scaloni has earned enormous trust after two Copa Americas and a World Cup, but those calls carry risk.
What he does have is continuity. Seventeen of the 26 players in this squad won in Qatar. Emiliano Martinez in goal is a penalty shootout weapon. The centre-back pairing of Otamendi and Romero is physical, experienced, and occasionally reckless — which at a World Cup can go either way.
Argentina's group fixtures:
- June 16: Argentina vs Algeria — Kansas City, 9pm ET
- June 22: Argentina vs Austria — Arlington, 1pm ET
- June 27: Jordan vs Argentina — Arlington, 10pm ET
On paper, Group J is manageable. Algeria (ranked 28th) and Austria (24th) will test them early. Jordan, making their World Cup debut, are the group's clear underdogs. But Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia at the group stage in Qatar when they looked similarly comfortable on paper. Scaloni will know that.
If they get through cleanly, the knockout bracket is where the real questions get answered. Spain and France are likely stronger than they were in 2022. Argentina's title odds reflect a team that can win this — but aren't the frontrunners they were four years ago.
Messi said everything he needed to say in Buenos Aires in September. Whatever happens in North America will be the final word.
