What are Argentina’s chances of winning the World Cup?

In a sentence, those chances are very good. Here’s why Lionel Scaloni’s Copa América champions appear likely to go deep in Qatar.

Form counts for everything

Argentina have forgotten how it feels to lose a football match. They last did that in 2019, and their unbeaten streak now stands at 36 matches. Imagine the confidence that breeds in the players and technical staff, and the doubt it creates in the minds of opponents.

The Copa América triumph against Brazil last year was huge on a number of levels, not least of which because it ended Argentina’s 28-year trophy drought. Critically, they now look like one of the most settled teams of the 32 participating in Qatar.

Reliable defensive systems win matches

It doesn’t matter how many gifted players you have in the final third, a team will win absolutely nothing if it doesn’t know how to defend. Manager Scaloni knew all about that during his club career spanning stints in the top-flights of Argentina, Spain, England and Italy.

Sevilla’s compact, aggressive and technically tidy Marcos Acuña embodies what this Argentinian defensive unit is all about. He’s not flashy, he’s not a global household name, but he gets the job done with minimum fuss. Acuña will compete with Nicolás Tagliafico for the left-back role, and there is similarly stiff competition across that backline.

The outstandingly gifted Tottenham man Cristian Romero has immediately become a mainstay for club and country. When he’s been absent for Tottenham of late, it’s really showed, with Antonio Conte’s side shipping 10 goals in the last 5 games which 24-year-old Romero has missed. That’s not a coincidence.

Benfica man Nicolás Otamendi possesses bags and bags of experience while Lisandro Martínez has done surprisingly well in his first season with Man United. He’s aggressive in the air despite being criticised for his lack of height, and he’s superb on the ball with a tidy left foot that can bring the ball out of defence.

The rugged trio of Juan Foyth, Nahuel Molina and Germán Pezzella continue to thrive in LaLiga with Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Real Betis respectively. This is a defensive unit with structure, depth and plenty of variety. Behind them, Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez has proved his worth between the sticks.

Midfield artistry

Throughout Argentina’s rich footballing history, one common thread running through all their teams has been majestic midfielders. Although there is nobody quite like Juan Román Riquelme or Pablo Aimar in this setup, there’s still plenty to enjoy about the men in the engine room.

Rodrigo De Paul is the gifted all-action player who prompts and probes, getting ahead of the ball when the opportunities present themselves. PSG’s Leandro Paredes, currently on loan at Juventus, is the glue, keeping things ticking over but he does so with silk, finesse and a lovely range of long passes.

And if you want to talk about a player hitting form at the right time, look no further than Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister. He might not have even been in Lionel Scaloni’s thoughts this time last year, but a scintillating patch of matches for the Seagulls in the Premier League has everybody talking and taking notice.

He and Sevilla’s Papu Gomez both have the ability to hit a sublime set-piece, although they’ll need to argue with their captain about that. Still, it’s good to have options, and these 2 diminutive playmakers are a throwback to Argentina teams from the early 2000s.

Ridiculous attacking depth

Leo Messi, Lautaro Martínez, Angel Di María and Julián Álvarez all provide something totally different in attack, and that’s before you even mention Roma’s Paulo Dybala and Inter’s Joaquin Correa. How on earth is Scaloni going to select his strikeforce with so many appealing options? It’s a nice problem to have though.

Lionel Andrés Messi

We had to save the best for last, although the magical maestro needs absolutely no introduction. In theory at least, Messi is approaching the twilight of his career, but perhaps somebody should tell him that.

He’s notched double figures for both goals and assists across Ligue 1 and Champions League action this season already, which is a welcome turnaround after a relatively disappointing 2021/22. Leo looks more like himself this campaign. He has already curled home a few signature free-kicks, is creating chances for teammates at will and, more importantly, the great man is smiling again.

Argentina arrive at the World Cup in peak form after a routine 5-0 friendly win against the UAE, and the same can be said for their Rosario-born talisman. A fairytale triumph is far from impossible to visualise.