Argentina at World Cup 2026: Defending Champions Without Messi's Best Years
Argentina are the reigning world champions. But Lionel Messi is now 38, and the questions about his role at World Cup 2026 will define la Albiceleste's entire tournament.
When Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, it felt like the culmination of the greatest individual story in football history. Lionel Messi — the man who had everything except the one trophy that had eluded him — finally lifted the golden trophy in Lusail Stadium, surrounded by his teammates and a nation's tears of joy.
Four years later, Argentina return as defending world champions. But the most important question is not whether they can retain the title; it is whether Lionel Messi, now 38 years old, can deliver at the level that makes Argentina truly competitive.
The Messi Question
Messi at 38 is still, by the standards of most footballers, exceptional. His reading of the game, his passing vision, his ability to manufacture moments of magic from nothing — these qualities do not diminish with age in the way that pace and explosive movement do.
But a World Cup demands enormous physical output. Six or seven matches in four weeks, at the highest intensity in world football, against opponents who will build entire tactical plans around stopping you. Whether Messi can sustain that output, and whether he will be selected in Argentina's starting lineup for the early knockout rounds, is the dominant narrative of Argentina's tournament.
The Squad Beyond Messi
The good news for Argentina is that the generation that won in 2022 is still largely intact, and several players have continued to grow. Julián Álvarez — who scored four goals in Qatar — has become one of the most clinical centre-forwards in Europe. Enzo Fernández has established himself in Chelsea's midfield as a genuine top-level player. Alexis Mac Allister brings energy and intelligence from Liverpool.
This is not a one-man team. Argentina have proved they can find goals, defend with discipline, and manage the emotional pressure of a World Cup. They are genuine contenders even in a reduced role for Messi.
The History Lesson
No team has won back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. The defending champions' curse is real: in the six World Cups before 2022, the defending champions never made it past the quarter-finals. History weighs against Argentina.
The Verdict
Argentina will be dangerous. They will be competitive. They have the squad to reach the knockout stages comfortably and the quality to upset anyone on a given day. Whether they can win six consecutive matches in a row against the best teams in the world — that is the question only the tournament itself can answer.
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