Group: J — Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan

How they Qualified: Finished first in CONMEBOL qualifying. Argentina went 12-2-4, scored 31 goals, conceded only 10, and finished with 38 points, nine clear of Ecuador. They had already clinched in March 2025, becoming the first South American team to qualify.

Best World Cup Finish: Champions (1978, 1986, 2022). Argentina are the defending World Cup champions and are trying to become the first team to repeat since Brazil in 1962.

Transfermarkt Roster Value: $960.2 M

FIFA Rank: 3

Odds to Win Group: -265

Odds to Advance: -10000

Odds to Win Cup: 9-1

Key Players:

  • Lionel Messi — Forward — Inter Miami (MLS). Messi is 38, headed to his sixth World Cup, and still the emotional and tactical center of Argentina’s title defense. He still bends defensive shapes, still sees the pass earlier than everyone else, and still gives Argentina the one player in the tournament who can make a knockout game feel like it is moving at his speed.
  • Julián Álvarez — Forward — Atlético de Madrid (Spain). Álvarez is probably the most important bridge between the 2022 team and whatever Argentina becomes next. Transfermarkt values him at $105.8m, tied for the highest mark in the squad, and he gives Scaloni the ability to play with a striker who can press, run channels, combine with Messi, or operate alongside Lautaro Martínez. In a team that may have to manage Messi’s legs and protect against transitions, Álvarez’s work without the ball is almost as important as his finishing.
  • Alexis Mac Allister — Midfielder — Liverpool (Premier League). Mac Allister may not have the same headline value as Messi or Álvarez, but he is one of the players who makes Argentina’s midfield work. Transfermarkt values him at $94.1m, and his blend of control, pressing, final-third timing and tactical intelligence gives Scaloni flexibility. He can play deeper, push higher, help protect Messi defensively, or connect the midfield to the front line. Argentina’s whole identity depends on that kind of balance: enough structure to stay compact, enough quality to let the stars decide games.

Playing Style and Outlook

Argentina are no longer burdened by the chase to reclaim the World Cup and add the final piece to Lionel Messi’s legacy. In 2022, every match was part of Messi’s last great unresolved question. Now the question is different: can they defend the title with the same edge, hunger and clarity to become the first repeat champions since Brazil in 1962.

That is harder than it sounds. Argentina are still excellent, still experienced, and still one of the most coherent teams in the tournament. However, defending a World Cup is a different challenge from winning one. The emotional burden is lighter, but the tactical burden may be heavier. Every opponent knows what they are. Every match comes with the champion’s spotlight. And the player who defined the last run is now 38.

The good news is that Scaloni has not had to tear the team apart. Argentina’s final 26-man squad retains 17 players from the 2022 World Cup-winning team, including Messi, Emiliano Martínez, Rodrigo De Paul, Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez. Ángel Di María is gone after retiring from international soccer following the 2024 Copa América, but this is still very much the same core. It is continuity, not reinvention.

The base shape can move between a 4-3-3, 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1, but Argentina’s real identity is less about the formation graphic and more about the relationships. Messi floats into the right half-space or central pockets. Álvarez gives them pressing and movement. Lautaro gives them a more traditional penalty-box striker. De Paul still does a lot of the running and dirty work around Messi. Mac Allister and Enzo give them passing range, tempo and control. The fullbacks provide the width depending on the matchup, while Cristian Romero and Nicolás Otamendi still bring the aggression and edge at center back.

That balance is why Argentina remain so difficult to play against. They can keep the ball and slow a game down, but they are not just a possession team. They can counter. They can press. They can turn a match into a scrap if they need to. They are also one of the rare elite teams that seems completely comfortable winning ugly. That was a huge part of 2022. They had Messi’s genius, but they also had the ability to suffer through long stretches, protect a lead, and make opponents feel the weight of every duel.

The qualifying campaign reinforced that this was not a one-tournament fluke. Argentina finished first in South America with 38 points, scored 31 goals and conceded only 10. They also produced one of the great rivalry results of the cycle, beating Brazil 4-1 without Messi or Lautaro. That match showed the depth of the project. Álvarez scored early, Enzo added the second, Mac Allister got the third, and Giuliano Simeone finished it off.

That may be the key to the whole tournament. Argentina need Messi, but they cannot be only Messi. If he is healthy and sharp, he is still the player who changes everything. If he has to manage minutes or pick his spots, they need Álvarez, Lautaro, Enzo, Mac Allister, Nico Paz, Thiago Almada and the rest of the attacking group to carry more of the load. Scaloni’s squad suggests he understands that. He has selected some younger pieces like Valentín Barco, Nicolás Paz, Giuliano Simeone, José Manuel López and Thiago Almada, which gives Argentina a little more future-facing energy around the old core. Paz in particular is coming off an excellent season as the attacking creator for a surprise Como team, who secured a Champions League spot from Serie A.

The biggest tactical question is how Scaloni balances the front line and who he pairs with Messi. Álvarez gives pressing and mobility. Lautaro gives finishing and box presence. Almada gives creativity. Garnacho or Simeone can give more direct running. Nico Paz gives another technical between-the-lines option. If Scaloni plays two true forwards with Messi, Argentina can overwhelm teams. If he wants more midfield control, one of those attackers probably has to sit. That is a good problem, but it is still a real one.

The midfield is more settled. Mac Allister, Enzo and De Paul still feel like the core, with Leandro Paredes, Giovani Lo Celso and others giving Scaloni different ways to change the rhythm. Lo Celso’s return is especially interesting because he missed the 2022 World Cup through injury after being a major part of the pre-tournament plan. He gives Argentina another passer and another player who understands Messi’s movements instinctively.

Defensively, Argentina are experienced and mean enough to win knockout games, but not invulnerable. Emiliano Martínez remains one of the great tournament goalkeepers, and Romero gives them aggression and recovery defending. Otamendi’s experience still matters, though his age is a caveat against faster opponents. The fullback spots are functional more than spectacular. That is probably fine if the midfield protects them. It becomes more dangerous if Argentina get stretched and have to defend repeated transitions.

The group is manageable, but it is not a complete stroll. Algeria are a dangerous opener because they have enough experience and technical quality to make Argentina work, and first matches for defending champions have a way of getting weird. Austria are probably the real tactical test. Ralf Rangnick’s team will press, run, and try to make Argentina uncomfortable in buildup. If Argentina handle that match cleanly, they should win the group. Jordan are the debutant and the clear underdog, but Argentina would like to have their business handled before that match so they could manage some minutes.

The ceiling is obviously another World Cup. Argentina have the goalkeeper, the center-back edge, the midfield balance, the attacking options, the tournament experience and Messi. That is enough to beat anyone. The concern is that repeating is brutally hard, and the margins at the top are tiny. Spain, France, England and Portugal all have deeper or younger squads in certain areas.

But Argentina have something most of those teams are still trying to build: belief that has already been proven under the worst pressure. This team has won a Copa América, a World Cup, and another Copa América under Scaloni. They know who they are. They know how to suffer. They know how to close.

That is why they belong this high. Argentina may not be the most talented team in the field from 1 through 26, and they may not have the same fresh energy as some of the other contenders. But until someone proves otherwise, they are still the champions — and they still have Messi.