Argentina’s bid for World Cup immortality is the end of an era | OneFootball

Only two nations have ever won the World Cup twice in a row. Italy did it early – winning in 1934 and then in 1938 – while Brazil’s generation of Pele, Garrincha and co. repeated the feat in 1962.

In the modern era, it has so far proved impossible, though a few teams have come close. Brazil were soundly beaten in 1998, Argentina lost in 1990, and France were vanquished in 2022.

It is a pattern that speaks to the difficulty of maintaining such a high level over four-year cycles. Players come and go, managers may leave, injuries may affect you. Even if you get to the final, you could suffer the simple misfortune of a bout of illness, as Ronaldo did in 1998.

open image in gallery

Holders Argentina are still among the favourites, though the likes of Spain and France are seen as better sides (Getty)

In short, almost everything needs to go your way if you want to win one World Cup, let alone two in a row. In 2026, Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina side will be the next to try the impossible.

Three-and-a-half years on from lifting football’s biggest prize in Qatar, Lionel Messi’s defending champions are among the teams tipped to go all the way in North America this summer, as Argentina’s golden generation goes for glory one final time.

The Albiceleste head into the 2026 World Cup as a different beast to the team of 2022. There was a strange feeling around the team then, the obvious demands and expectations added to by the pressure of what many thought would be Messi’s final chance to lift the famous trophy.

That is now gone. Emboldened by their victory in Qatar, the Albiceleste now play with a confidence befitting their status as world champions. This is now the end of a golden era for the team, who have lifted the country’s third World Cup as well as back-to-back Copa America trophies in 2021 and 2024.

Results have stayed positive since winning the Copa America too, with Scaloni’s side having finished top of the Conmebol qualifiers with 38 points, including a memorable 4-1 win over Brazil at the Monumental in March 2025. Given their recent performances, it is no surprise that the defending champions are among the favourites this year.

In terms of personnel, there has been a solid level of continuity within the squad, with 17 members of the group from 2022 returning this year. And as always, it is an Argentina squad that has plenty of talent.

Messi will lead them once again, though the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Rodrigo de Paul, Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez all return, with a capable supporting cast including the likes of Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios and Thiago Almada.

Alongside them, there are high hopes for some of the new faces, including Como forward Nico Paz and recent Chelsea signing Valentin Barco – both of whom will aim to be the breakout stars of this tournament – as well as the reliable, industrious Giuliano Simeone.

open image in gallery

The 2024 Copa America win cemented this current team as a golden generation for Argentina (Getty)

open image in gallery

There’s plenty of hope for the new faces in the squad, including Valentin Barco and José Manuel López (AP)

Overall, it is a squad that looks to have built on the foundations of the one that won in 2022. Angel Di Maria remains a huge loss, but this is a squad with a good blend of different profiles in midfield and attack, and therefore different ways of playing when necessary.

This was on show in Qatar. The football may not have been the prettiest at times, but this side can dig deep, as they did to get past the likes of Australia and the Netherlands in Qatar.

At the other end of the scale, perhaps some neutrals are guilty of forgetting about the 3-0 demolition of Croatia in the semi-finals, or some of the superb football played in carving open France in the final before Les Blues’ Kylian Mbappe-inspired comeback.

In short, this is a team with plenty of ability. Hopes are high at home too, with Clarin – the country’s biggest newspaper – remarking that this is a side that tends to “bring out its best” when playing in the big tournaments.

open image in gallery

Messi remains Argentina's key man and is vital to their hopes of lifting the trophy this summer (Getty)

However, questions remain ahead of their opening game against Algeria, with a squad that is four years older entering the tournament off the back of a run of games that have hardly been testing.

Despite a consistently good run of form, Scaloni has faced questions and criticism over the calibre of opponent that Argentina have faced of late, with the likes of Puerto Rico, Angola and Mauritania beaten in friendlies in the last seven months.

And while the continuity within the squad is a bonus, several key members are approaching the end of their careers at the top level.

Messi will captain the Albiceleste once more at this summer’s tournament, during which he will turn 39. The talisman recently suffered a muscle strain that provoked some worries, though he returned against Iceland this week. 33-year-old goalkeeper Emi Martinez continues to work on a recovery from a broken finger, while Nicolas Otamendi is another member who is now 38 years old.

open image in gallery

Argentina have one of the most settled squads at this year's World Cup (Getty)

In terms of form, Messi continues to put up commendable stats – with 12 goals and seven assists in 14 MLS games so far this term – though it is simply too hard to tell if his own level will have fallen, even if he looked sharp in a brief cameo against Iceland.

Messi’s Inter Miami teammate De Paul is another who has settled into life in the MLS, while Leandro Paredes also plays in a far less testing league after moving to Boca Juniors in 2025. Elsewhere, the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Nicolas Tagliafico are coming into the tournament off the back of poor seasons at club level.

There are potential weak links in defence too. Tottenham captain Cristian Romero has repeatedly proven himself as erratic at key times, while potential centre-back partner Lisandro Martinez remains brilliant on the ball but often leaves a lot to be desired in defence. At full-back, the likes of Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are hardly inspiring at club level, even if they have previously delivered on the biggest stage of all.

The form of some key players and a lack of challenging opposition go some way to explaining why Argentina are seen as lagging slightly behind the likes of Spain, France and even England this summer. This is clearly not a team at the height of its powers, and questions remain in key areas.

open image in gallery

The 2026 World Cup will mark Scaloni's fourth major tournament in charge of the Albiceleste (Reuters)

However, in Messi they still have one of the world’s best players, and one of only a handful who are capable of deciding a game on their own this summer. There’s quality in other areas of the squad too, with the potential for another emerging talent as was the case with Enzo Fernandez in Qatar. As for Scaloni, he has proven himself capable on the biggest stage, and the team as a whole will benefit from the continuity shown from 2022 to now.

This cycle will see the end of a period of unprecedented success. It is likely that the next manager will find out that the true impossible task is replacing Argentina’s current golden generation.

However, while this is a team on the verge of transition, there is a huge summer to look forward to beforehand. Winning two World Cups in a row is supremely difficult, but you wouldn’t bet against Messi as Argentina look to cement their place among the greatest international team of all time.