Argentina are aiming to become the first country to successfully defend the World Cup trophy outside of their own continent

Analysis

By Joel Richards for World Soccer in the 2026 World Cup Special, May 2026.

The reigning world champions travel to North America this summer with one clear objective: winning back-to-back titles, a feat that has only been achieved by Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962).

Argentina should be one of the toughest teams to face at this summer’s tournament. The Albiceleste spent three years perched atop FIFA’s world rankings, slipping to second behind Spain late last year. Since beating France in the dramatic final in Lusail in 2022, Argentina added more silverware under coach Lionel Scaloni – the Copa America in 2024 – and then dominated the World Cup qualifiers, winning the South American group by a huge nine-point margin.

Scaloni will call on many of the heroes from Qatar – not least captain Lionel Messi. At 38, this is the great man’s grand finale, having received an emotional send-off during his last competitive home game for the national team during the qualifiers. Messi remains crucial – he was the top scorer in the South American qualifiers – but how many minutes he will play given the short time between group games is one of the conundrums that Scaloni faces.

Another dilemma is how to replace Angel Di Maria, who has retired from the national team, but the rest of the title-winning side remains intact. With the exception of Di Maria, Scaloni could even field the same line-up that took to the pitch against France three and a half years ago – just as long as centre-back Cristian Romero recovers in time from the knee injury that he sustained while playing for Tottenham Hotspur in April.

Nevertheless, Scaloni has looked to bring through a new group of players over the past 18 months, handing debuts and opportunities to the likes of Giuliano Simeone, Nico Paz, Valentin Barco, Franco Mastantuono and Flaco Lopez. The breakthrough performances of the young Enzo Fernandez at the last World Cup will be inspiration to those handed the opportunity.

There are alarm bells, however. Key players have suffered dips in performance or suffered spells on the sidelines through injury or loss of form. Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez went 14 games without a goal in La Liga. Spurs defender Romero was battling against relegation all season long in the Premier League before his serious knee injury. And preparations in the run-up to the finals were far from ideal. Conflict in the Middle East forced March’s Finalissima against European champions Spain, scheduled to take place in Qatar, to be cancelled. It left Argentina without meaningful opposition in the last available FIFA date and, in particular, no European opposition to test themselves against. Instead, home friendlies against Mauritania and Zambia, ranked 115th and 91st respectively, were hurriedly arranged, denying Scaloni the chance to answer a number of key questions.

Lionel Scaloni's view

What is it like to manage this team?

Being the Argentina coach is the job every Argentine dreams of. From the moment you walk in you realise how special it is to be here. But I am just as competitive as the players, and this is the spirit we want, to instil the desire to keep improving and adding things. At the end of the day I’m a fan on the touchline. I enjoy watching our players.

No team has ever managed to retain the World Cup outside their own continent. Can Argentina be the first to do it?

Winning the trophy again, in such complicated circumstances, is difficult to promise. It would be incredible. I think we deserved to win the last one, but there are many cases where the trophy did not go to the team that deserves it most, which speaks to the difficulty of the tournament. We are going to give our all, and try to do what we did in the last World Cup, which is to fight for every ball. Ten teams are in the fight to win the World Cup, maybe more. The level of play will be very high.

Does meeting Jordan in the groups bring back memories of Saudi Arabia in Qatar?

Yes, there are no easy opponents. You must play the games, and take nothing for granted. When a national team plays well, it doesn’t matter where it’s from. We don’t stop to think about what continent they are from. And in our group we also have Algeria. I know their coach, Vladimir Petkovic. I played under him at Lazio. He’s a great coach, and his team has some very good players. And Austria played very well in qualifying.

What about the conditions in which these finals will be played? You had a taste of it in 2024 when you won the Copa America…

The heat is really something. The pauses for rest and hydration will be important.

Can a team little changed from Qatar be competitive in such conditions?

We focus a great deal on not losing our intensity. True, more than three years have gone by since the last World Cup, and time moves forward for everyone. Players who have been in the squad for a long time have to keep up their levels. And any new players have to be at that level or improve the team.

Do you know your final squad yet?

We have a lot of players in contention. We will choose the final squad based on form. There is no other way. The team has to deliver, and we will think about what is best for the team. That is what will dictate our decisions. I have a good idea of the squad, but if their form is not there we will have to take action.

Can Lionel Messi have the same impact at this World Cup as he did in Qatar?

Messi has won the World Cup, so the important thing is that he comes to the tournament and enjoys it. I don’t like saying never, but in theory this is his last World Cup. We know he is competitive but, more than anything, we want him to enjoy the experience.

Tim Vickery & Joel Richards

Tactics

Argentina’s play under Lionel Scaloni perhaps found its purest expression in Angel Di Maria’s goal against France in the final in Qatar. A sweeping move after turning over possession – one-touch football, swift movement and clinical finishing. “Our style of play won’t change,” promised the coach ahead of one of his side’s World Cup qualifiers, but sustaining that level of quality is the challenge.

Messi is close to retirement. He may still toy with MLS defences, but Scaloni must decide how and when to deploy the No.10, to maximise his contribution. He has tested alternative strategies, shapes and formations, as well as alternative personnel for when Messi is not playing.

There is also no Di Maria. Along with his versatility and volume of work, “Fideo” scored crucial goals in World Cup and Copa America finals. The opportunity is there for his replacement to prove they too can deliver when it counts. Scaloni has tested several players in wide roles, with Thiago Almada possibly emerging as the strongest option.

The midfield engine remains crucial. Few national teams boast the quality of the De Paul-Fernandez-Mac Allister triumvirate, which must supply the ball for Messi and also protect a backline that has often come under scrutiny.

The View From Argentina

“Argentina go to the World Cup in great form, and with virtually the same group that have already won everything. But the players are more mature, many captains at their clubs in Europe. There are young players too, like Giuliano Simeone, Valentin Barco, Nico Paz and Nicolas Gonzalez that can give the team something different. I’m optimistic they will play all eight games.” - Alejo Rivera, Canal 9

“There’s an advert where Scaloni says Argentina aren’t going to the World Cup ‘to win it’ - they are going ‘to defend it.’ He has the backbone of the team from Qatar, with exciting youngsters like Nico Paz, while Messi is still the decisive force.” - Nicolas Baier, ESPN Argentina

The Coach

Scaloni stands alongside Cesar Luis Menotti and Carlos Bilardo as Argentina World Cup-winning managers. He has also won two Copas America and the 2022 Finalissima, doing so with sides that have often entertained and taken the initiative. It is a remarkable achievement given he had no previous experience as head coach when the AFA brought him in as interim coach after Argentina’s dismal 2018 World Cup showing.

Quiet and unassuming, he has also sought to bring through fresh blood, laying out a blueprint for how Argentina continue when Lionel Messi does finally retire.