Can Argentina Defend Their Title?
With Messi at 38 and a golden generation ageing together, La Albiceleste face their greatest challenge: going back-to-back for the first time since 1962.
When Lionel Messi finally lifted the World Cup in Lusail on that December night in 2022, it felt like the end of a story. Argentina had won it. The mission was complete. But sport has a cruel way of writing sequels. Now La Albiceleste must do something no team has done since the Brazil side of 1958 to 1962: win it twice in a row.
The Ageing Core
Argentina's title-winning squad was built around a tight core. Angel Di María has retired from international football. Ángel Correa and Leandro Paredes are deeper in their 30s. The spine of Messi, Lautaro Martínez and Rodrigo De Paul remains, but time is a relentless opponent. Messi turns 39 during the tournament. He has already said this will be his last World Cup.
Coach Lionel Scaloni has spent the past four years quietly refreshing the squad around the veterans. Enzo Fernández has become one of the most complete midfielders in Europe. Alexis Mac Allister is a Premier League champion. Julian Álvarez at 26 is in his prime. The foundations are solid.
The Challenge of Being Champions
Defending champions historically struggle. France reached the final in 2022 before losing to Argentina; Brazil in 2006 were eliminated in the quarters. The extra pressure, the extra analysis from opponents, the extra time spent on the road. It all adds up.
“We do not think about what we already won. We think about what we still have to win. That is the Argentine way.”
Scaloni has tried to shield his players from the weight of expectation. Training camps have been kept tight, media access limited. The message internally is simple: treat it like any other tournament.
The Verdict
Argentina are genuine contenders, probably top-three in any objective ranking alongside France and Brazil. If Messi stays fit and Lautaro fires, they have the quality to win seven matches in a row again. But in a 48-team tournament with more potential banana skins, the margin for error is tighter than ever. One off night, one injury, one lucky deflection, and the fairy tale ends. That is what makes it unmissable.
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