Argentina head into the 2026 FIFA World Cup as defending champions and one in all the favourites to elevate the trophy once more. Since successful the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, Lionel Scaloni’s aspect have continued to impress, successful the Copa América and ending strongly in South American qualifying.
Nonetheless, regardless of their success, I don’t consider Argentina will win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The largest cause is easy: Lionel Messi is now not the participant he was 4 years in the past.
In Qatar 2022, Messi produced one in all the biggest World Cup performances in soccer historical past. He was the coronary heart of Argentina’s assault, scoring essential objectives, creating possibilities and galvanizing his teammates in troublesome moments. At any time when Argentina wanted one thing particular, Messi delivered.
However soccer doesn’t stand nonetheless. Messi is now older and now not performs at the highest stage of membership soccer. Since transferring to Main League Soccer in the United States, he has continued to supply spectacular statistics, however the depth and high quality of MLS can’t be in comparison with Europe’s high leagues. Week after week, he’s now not dealing with the identical stage of opposition that he did throughout his time at Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and even throughout the 2022 World Cup cycle.
Consequently, anticipating Messi to dominate matches towards the world’s finest nationwide groups in 2026 could also be unrealistic. Age catches up with each participant, irrespective of how nice they’re.
Take it or go away it, and not using a match and magical Messi, Argentina aren’t the identical crew. For my part, they grow to be an excellent aspect reasonably than an unbeatable one. They’ve proficient gamers throughout the pitch, however they don’t possess one other footballer able to altering the course of a World Cup match in the manner Messi did in Qatar.
Some will level to Argentina’s victories over sturdy groups with out Messi, together with their spectacular win over Brazil throughout qualifying. Whereas these outcomes present that the squad has depth and high quality, event soccer is totally different. World Cups are sometimes determined by moments of genius. In 2022, Messi offered these moments repeatedly.
One other concern is that Argentina haven’t confronted sufficient elite opposition outdoors South America throughout this World Cup cycle. Common matches towards weaker nations don’t all the time reveal a crew’s weaknesses. The World Cup is a very totally different problem, the place each mistake is punished by world-class opponents.
There are additionally health considerations surrounding some key members of the squad. A number of skilled gamers have battled accidents in latest months. An extended event calls for bodily freshness, and Argentina can not afford to lose necessary gamers at vital levels.
None of this implies Argentina may have a poor event. They’ve a wonderful coach in Lionel Scaloni, a successful mentality and one in all the strongest squads in worldwide soccer. Reaching the quarter-finals and even the semi-finals wouldn’t be a shock.
Nonetheless, successful the World Cup requires greater than high quality. It requires distinctive gamers acting at their absolute peak. In 2022, Argentina had that benefit as a result of Messi was nonetheless able to producing magic at any time when it was wanted.
In 2026, I am not satisfied he can do it persistently towards the world’s finest groups. And and not using a Messi working at his 2022 stage, Argentina look much less like champions and extra like a crew able to reaching the quarter-finals earlier than being stopped by one in all the event’s different heavyweights.
That’s the reason I don’t suppose Argentina will win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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