Argentina ODDS & FIXTURES

Argentina at the 2022 World Cup: shadow favourite or potential disappointment

The Argentina national football team won the FIFA World Cup twice in their history. But only few will remember these events: the wins are dated by 1978 and 1986. The best achievement of the Argentines at the World Cup in the 21st century is getting into the finals of the 2014 World Cup, where the team lost to Germany with a minimum score.

In the summer of 2021, Lionel Messi led his national team to the victory at the Copa América. It is certainly a remarkable achievement of international level. However, to stand in line with the greatest legends, he lacks the main trophy – the world champion title.

Is Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, capable of a breakthrough, or did they miss their main chance 8 years ago?

Path of Argentina to the 2022 World Cup

The Argentina national team passed the continental qualifiers very confidently. In 17 matches, the team got 39 points (11 wins, 6 draws) and guaranteed their participation in the World Cup a few rounds before the end of the qualifying.

The number of goals conceded deserves special attention: only 8 in 17 matches, i.e. 0.5 goals per match. For comparison, at the last World Cup, the Argentina national team missed 9 goals in 4 matches, including four from the French in the Round of 16.

In the qualifiers, the most effective players of the team were Lautaro Martínez and Lionel Messi – with 7 goals each.

What to expect in Qatar?

A little while ago, the Argentina have published a preliminary squad for the tournament. A certain imbalance immediately catches the eye – the attacking line is overwhelmed by star players, while the defensive one lacks big names. There is also no full confidence in the reliability of the goalkeeper. When comparing all major national teams, perhaps, the Argentine goalkeeper looks the weakest.

Yes, in the qualifiers, the team did not concede much, but at the World Cup, especially in the playoffs, they will have to face rivals of a whole other level. It becomes alarming, when your main defender is 34-year-old Otamendi.

Immense expectations are set for Lionel Messi. He does not even make a secret that he views the club season as training for the World Cup, and it is for Qatar that he is going to gain the optimum shape. And Messi in his optimum shape is the key to win against the majority of teams of the world.

The team got into a rather weak group: Mexico, Poland and Saudi Arabia. There, the Argentines must rank first to avoid a possible match with France, the current world champion, already in the first round of the playoffs.