Argentina National Team: The Last and Perfect World Cup for Lionel Messi

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has achieved unprecedented results during his tenure. Under his leadership, the "Albiceleste" established global football hegemony by winning three consecutive major tournaments: the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 World Cup, and the 2024 Copa América. However, as the 2026 World Cup approaches, the team faces the extremely difficult task of defending their championship title. This is reported by Goal.com news provides.

Looking back at history, winning the World Cup twice in a row is a very rare occurrence. The last time such a result was recorded was by Brazil in 1962. In modern football, we often see defending champions failing as early as the group stage of the next tournament. According to Goal.com analysis, Argentina must implement serious reforms in the squad to break this tradition.

The need for the older generation and new blood

The foundation of Scaloni's success has been squad stability. Seventeen members of the current squad participated in the victorious tournament in Qatar, and sixteen have been with the team since 2021. For comparison, giants like Brazil or England have managed to renew their squads by nearly 60-70 percent over the last five years. In Argentina, a cohesive team that understands each other intuitively has been formed.

But there is a downside to this stability: the team is aging. Currently, nine key players in the squad are over 30. Among them are Emiliano Martinez, Rodrigo De Paul, and of course, the legendary Lionel Messi. By the 2026 World Cup, Messi will be 39. This will be the sixth and possibly the final World Cup of his career.

To organize a worthy farewell tournament for Lionel Messi, Scaloni must place more trust in young talents. The team must not rely solely on experience but integrate fast and powerful youth capable of high work rates on the pitch. The departure of an experienced leader like Angel Di Maria marked the beginning of this process.

The new 48-team format of the 2026 World Cup may allow Argentina to pass the group stage more easily. However, in the decisive play-off matches, physical condition and squad depth will take center stage. Scaloni is required to find a perfect balance between his "golden generation" and the emerging young stars.

In conclusion, the goal of the Argentina national team is clear — to conclude the Lionel Messi era with another World Cup. To achieve this, the team must refresh its style of play and not be afraid to give key roles to young talents. Only in this way can they repeat Brazil's 60-year-old record.