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Lionel Messi brushes aside a late injury concern to captain the defending world champions in what will be his sixth World Cup finals appearance.

Argentina, known as La Albiceleste, ended their 36-year wait for a third World Cup title in Qatar in 2022. The inspirational skipper Lionel Messi finally crowned his incredible career by lifting the one trophy that had eluded him, sealing his place among football’s all-time greats.

Their path to glory in 2022 was unforgettable. Argentina defeated Kylian Mbappe’s France 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw at the end of extra time. That triumph came after recovering from a shocking opening loss to Saudi Arabia and surviving tense challenges from Australia and, most notably, the Netherlands.

Since that historic win, Lionel Scaloni’s men have gone on to claim a record 16th Copa America title. They also dominated the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, winning 12 of 18 matches and losing only four. Finishing nine points clear of nearest rivals Ecuador, Argentina secured their 14th consecutive World Cup appearance in style.

With a balanced squad full of experience and confidence, plus a favourable group on paper, Argentina are strong contenders to become only the third nation to win consecutive World Cups and the first since Brazil achieved the feat in 1962.

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, Geronimo Rulli, Juan Musso

Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Otamendi, Leonardo Balerdi, Cristian Romero, Facundo Medina, Nicolas Tagliafico

Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Exequiel Palacios, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Giovani Lo Celso, Valentin Barco

Forwards: Lionel Messi, Nicolas Paz, Thiago Almada, Nicolas Gonzalez, Giuliano Simeone, Lautaro Martinez, Jose Manuel Lopez, Julian Alvarez

Influential: Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who has expressed a desire to move on, remains a crucial figure in Argentina’s engine room.

(All times BST)

Argentina vs Algeria – 2am on June 17, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

Argentina vs Austria – 6pm on June 22, AT&T Stadium, Arlington

Argentina vs Jordan – 3am on June 28, AT&T Stadium, Arlington

Group J poses little threat to Argentina, who will be determined to avoid a repeat of the shock defeat to Saudi Arabia four years ago – one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history that ultimately spurred them to victory.

The limited travel between host cities will be an advantage, with two of Argentina’s group matches taking place at the same venue in Texas and the opener near their Kansas City base.

This schedule will allow Scaloni to rotate his squad and keep key players – especially the veteran Messi – fresh for the knockout rounds. Potential encounters in the later stages could include Uruguay in the round of 32 and possibly Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the quarter-finals.

Scaloni will be wary of complacency due to the relatively mild group tests, though that is a challenge shared by most top teams in this expanded 48-team competition.

At a minimum, Argentina are expected to reach the semi-finals, where they could meet traditional rivals England or Brazil if results unfold as expected.

Turning 39 between Argentina’s second and third group matches, Messi is now three years into his Major League Soccer journey with Inter Miami. While no longer at the absolute peak of his career, he remains the heartbeat of the national team.

There had been uncertainty over whether Messi would make this World Cup, especially after a recent injury scare during club duty and ongoing speculation about his international retirement.

Now confirmed in the squad, Messi is set to play a central role once again, as he has done since his debut 21 years ago. His 200th international cap is expected to arrive during Argentina’s warm-up friendlies against Honduras and Iceland.

With the weight of finally winning the World Cup lifted, and sharing what is likely his final major tournament alongside long-time rival Ronaldo, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has the opportunity to enjoy one last glorious chapter on football’s biggest stage.

To win the World Cup: 9/1