A few days ago, the Argentine national team announced its preliminary 55-player squad for the 2026 World Cup, which still includes Lionel Messi. This is the biggest highlight for the South American team, as this tournament will most likely be the last World Cup in "La Pulga's" illustrious career.

Messi remains the number one star for the Argentina national team at the 2026 World Cup. Photo: Reuters

At 38, Messi may no longer maintain the same level of physical fitness as before, but his influence on Argentina remains immense. In recent seasons, M10 has often avoided excessive movement, instead focusing on observing, waiting for the right moment to accelerate, or delivering deadly passes. This season alone, he has scored 11 goals and provided 4 assists in 11 Major League Soccer matches. These numbers demonstrate that Messi remains a crucial pillar for Argentina at the 2026 World Cup.

However, Argentina is not just about Messi. Compared to the tournament four years ago, La Albiceleste has largely retained its core squad. Names like Emiliano Martinez, Nicolas Otamendi, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Lautaro Martinez, and Julian Alvarez continue to play important roles. This is a group of experienced players who understand Scaloni's system and are accustomed to the pressure of big matches.

However, the team in white and blue will be without several notable players. The absence of Di Maria and Dybala is particularly disappointing, as both played a crucial role in their journey to winning the tournament in Qatar.

Conversely, young talents like Nico Paz, Franco Mastantuono, Alejandro Garnacho, Matias Soule, Claudio Echeverri, and Santiago Castro promise to bring a breath of fresh air to Argentina.

Overall, the team's strength hasn't changed much compared to the 2022 World Cup.

In an assessment, ESPN ranked Argentina third in their pre-World Cup strength rankings, behind Spain and France. This is a fairly reasonable assessment, as Argentina is a top contender, but they clearly still have areas that need improvement.

Messi remains an inspiration, but to defend the World Cup, Argentina needs more individuals who are at the peak of their form. Furthermore, the fitness of some key players like Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez, along with the less-than-impressive performances of Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul, means the team hasn't yet achieved the same level of perfection as it did four years ago.

But Argentina's biggest worry isn't their technical ability, but their fighting spirit. At the 2022 World Cup, they played with immense ambition, not only for their country but also to help Messi fulfill his dream of winning the World Cup. But now Messi has won the World Cup, and Argentina has a third star on their jersey. So the question is whether they can still maintain that same hunger as in Qatar?

Even Messi showed caution, stating that Argentina is not the top contender at the 2026 World Cup. This statement partly shows his desire to ease the pressure on his team, while also acknowledging that defending their title is very difficult, because since Brazil (who won twice in 1958 and 1962), no team has managed to do so.

However, it would be a mistake to underestimate La Albiceleste. They may no longer have the same intense desire as at the 2022 World Cup, but they possess the experience of a champion. Under coach Scaloni, Argentina has become accustomed to pressure, knows how to win big matches, and overcome difficult times.

Therefore, Argentina remains a formidable team at the 2026 World Cup. As long as they maintain their cohesion and fighting spirit, Argentina deserves to be considered one of the strong contenders for the championship at the biggest football event on the planet.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/worldcup-2026/world-cup-2026-argentina-ban-linh-nha-vo-dich-1040652