Argentina has not lost a match since July 2, 2019. La Albiceleste’s last loss was against Brazil in the semifinals of the 2019 Copa América. Since then, they have amassed an undefeated streak that has lasted 33 games. Last week, Argentina defeated Italy 3-0 in the CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions Finalissima.
Last year, Argentina won its 15th Copa América title, beating Brazil in the final. Lionel Messi would be the tournament’s top scorer (4 goals) and best player. In addition, Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez would be named the tournament’s best goalie. For Messi, he had finally won his major international title. And La Albiceleste is looking to bring the world title to Argentina for the first time since 1986.
International trophies mean the world to Lionel Messi 🥺 pic.twitter.com/X8HFxtSRBy
— GOAL (@goal) June 1, 2022
Can Argentina challenge for the world title?
La Albiceleste looks stronger than they were four years ago in Russia. In addition, the team definitely looks better than the team that finished as runners-up in the 2014 World Cup. In Messi’s case, he may be in his mid-30s, but he’s still playing great. Argentina has a young team with respectable experience and amazing talent. Therefore, La Albiceleste is not just perfectly capable of challenging for the title. Honestly, they’re certainly capable of winning it.
Argentina is drawn into Group C alongside Mexico, Poland, and Saudi Arabia. La Albiceleste can very well go undefeated. Saudi Arabia poses no threat whatsoever, and Poland is nowhere near Argentina’s level. Mexico looks to be a worthy opponent on paper, but reality may tell a different story.
Four years ago, Mexico upset Germany in the group stage, and in 2014, they held Brazil to a scoreless draw. Therefore, reality suggests that Mexico might have a strong performance against Argentina. In La Albiceleste’s case, they’d be unwilling to settle for a draw or loss against Mexico.
What’s it going to take for La Albiceleste to win it all?
The first step is a strong finish in the group stage. With the amount of talent the team has, there’s no reason for them to be in a situation where Messi has to carry them. So in order for Argentina to play and finish strong, they need to play as a team and utilize brilliant team chemistry. In other words, the players must all be on the same page.
La Albiceleste will need to excel both in the attack and on defense. During the knockout stage, their opponents will inflict pressure, so the Argentine players need to be of the same mindset to be able to counter the opposing pressure. In addition, teamwork allows them to be a well-balanced team, which can lead them to the final where they’ll have a shot of being world champions again.
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @primetimesportstalk
Follow Alex Al-Kazzaz on Twitter @BearManOfTX
Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
