World Cup '26

Nation dossier · Group J · Advanced to knockout

Argentina

Argentine Republic

Group JCONMEBOL

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Title probability

29.3%

as of 2026-06-25

Overview

Argentina arrive as reigning world champions, having lifted the 2022 trophy in Qatar and added the 2024 Copa América for good measure. Under Lionel Scaloni, La Albiceleste have built a ruthlessly cohesive, mentally bulletproof squad that knows how to win the big moments.

The headline remains Lionel Messi, likely playing his final World Cup, surrounded by a maturing core of Enzo Fernández, Julián Álvarez and Alexis Mac Allister. Form has been excellent through CONMEBOL qualifying, where they cruised at the top of the table.

The ambition is unambiguous: back-to-back world titles, a feat no nation has achieved since Brazil in 1962.

Capital

Buenos Aires

Population

46,200,000

Confederation

CONMEBOL

FIFA code

ARG

World
Region

From Wikipedia

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern cone of South America. It covers an area of 2,780,085 km2 (1,073,397 mi2), making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourth-largest country in the Americas, and the eighth-largest country in the world. Argentina shares the bulk of the Southern Cone…

Source: Wikipedia →

Squad

Goalkeepers3
  • 1

    Walter Benítez

    PSV Eindhoven · Experienced third-choice option

    2caps
  • 12

    Gerónimo Rulli

    Marseille · Reliable shot-stopping deputy

    7caps
  • 23

    Emiliano Martínez

    Aston Villa · Penalty-saving hero and showman

    48caps
Defenders8
  • 3

    Nicolás Tagliafico

    Olympique Lyonnais · Steady experienced full-back

    62caps
  • 4

    Gonzalo Montiel

    River Plate · Final-winning penalty taker

    40caps
  • 8

    Marcos Acuña

    River Plate · Tenacious tireless left-back

    55caps
  • 13

    Cristian Romero

    Tottenham Hotspur · Aggressive ball-winning centre-back

    52caps
  • 18

    Lucas Martínez Quarta

    Fiorentina · Ball-playing defensive cover

    18caps
  • 19

    Nicolás Otamendi

    Benfica · Veteran defensive leader

    125caps
  • 25

    Lisandro Martínez

    Manchester United · Combative left-footed defender

    35caps
  • 26

    Nahuel Molina

    Atlético Madrid · Overlapping right-back energy

    45caps
Midfielders7
  • 5

    Leandro Paredes

    Boca Juniors · Range-passing midfield anchor

    65caps
  • 6

    Alan Varela

    FC Porto · Emerging holding midfielder

    6caps
  • 7

    Rodrigo De Paul

    Atlético Madrid · Energetic midfield engine

    72caps
  • 14

    Exequiel Palacios

    Bayer Leverkusen · Box-to-box dynamism

    35caps
  • 17

    Giovani Lo Celso

    Real Betis · Press-resistant attacking midfielder

    40caps
  • 20

    Alexis Mac Allister

    Liverpool · Composed two-way midfielder

    40caps
  • 24

    Enzo Fernández

    Chelsea · Deep-lying creative metronome

    42caps
Forwards5
  • 9

    Julián Álvarez

    Atlético Madrid · Relentless dual-role striker

    40caps
  • 10

    Lionel Messi

    Inter Miami · Captain, talisman and legend

    191caps
  • 11

    Ángel Di María

    Benfica · Big-game final scorer

    145caps
  • 15

    Nico Paz

    Como · Inventive young playmaker

    5caps
  • 22

    Lautaro Martínez

    Inter Milan · Clinical penalty-box finisher

    68caps

Model

as of 2026-06-25
Champion29.3%
Reach final42.7%
Semi-final63.8%
Quarter-final80.6%
Round of 1691.1%
Advance from group100.0%

Exp. points

8.91

Proj. finish

6.0

Seed Elo

2080

Title-probability trajectory

Champion chance across the last 14 snapshots

Matches

History

  1. 🏆

    1986

    Champions

  2. 1990

    Runners-up

  3. 2014

    Runners-up

  4. 2018

    Round of 16

  5. 🏆

    2022

    Champions

Culture

Football culture

Football here is operatic, tribal and deeply emotional, with the Boca–River *Superclásico* among the fiercest rivalries on earth. Supporters sing for ninety minutes and treat their idols as folk saints. The 2022 triumph sparked one of the largest street celebrations in human history.

Did you know

  • Lionel Messi is Argentina's all-time top scorer and most-capped player.
  • The 2022 final win over France is hailed as one of the greatest matches ever.
  • Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' and 'Goal of the Century' came in the same 1986 match.
  • Argentine fans created a viral chant, 'Muchachos', that became a national anthem of joy.
  • Argentina hosted and won its first World Cup title on home soil in 1978.