On the night of December 18, 2022, Lionel Messi lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy in Lusail Stadium, Qatar. After 36 years of hurt, Argentina were world champions again — and the greatest footballer who ever lived finally had the one trophy that had eluded him his entire career.
Now, three and a half years later, Messi returns for one final act. At 38 years old, World Cup 2026 in North America will almost certainly be his last. The question is not just whether Argentina can defend their title — it is whether Messi can write one final chapter in the greatest story football has ever told.
The Man Himself — What to Expect from Messi at 38
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Messi at 38 is not Messi at 28. The explosive pace that once made him unplayable is gone. He no longer dominates every single game the way he once did. But here is the thing about genius — it does not simply disappear.
At Inter Miami in MLS, Messi has shown that his football brain, his vision, his passing range, and his ability to produce moments of pure magic in the biggest moments remain completely intact. He still reads the game better than anyone alive. He still scores goals that should not be possible. And in a World Cup tournament format, where individual moments decide matches, one Messi moment of brilliance can change everything.
In Qatar, Messi played the tournament of his life — 7 goals, 3 assists, and performances of breathtaking quality across 7 matches. He was 35 years old. Three years later, the fire is still burning.
Argentina’s Squad — Are They Still Good Enough?
Argentina won in Qatar as a collective. Messi was the inspiration, but it was the team around him that made it possible. The question now is whether that collective is still strong enough.
The Spine That Won It All
- 🧤 Emiliano Martínez — still the best goalkeeper in the world on his day. His penalty shootout heroics in Qatar were decisive. At 33, he arrives at peak age.
- 🛡️ Cristian Romero — Tottenham’s ferocious centre-back will be 28 in 2026, right in his prime. One of the best defenders in the Premier League.
- ⚡ Rodrigo De Paul — the engine of Argentina’s midfield. Tireless, aggressive, and completely devoted to protecting Messi. Still only 31.
- 🎯 Julián Álvarez — the man who scored 4 goals in Qatar as a 22-year-old. Now at Real Madrid, he has developed into one of the most complete strikers in the world. At 26, he could be the tournament’s breakout star.
The Concerns
- ⚠️ Aging defence: Nicolás Otamendi turns 38 during the tournament. Argentina will need younger options to step up.
- ⚠️ Messi dependency: When Messi has an off day, Argentina struggle to create. The team is still built around him.
- ⚠️ Ángel Di María retired: The man who scored the winning goal in the 2022 final has hung up his boots. His creativity and experience on the wing will be missed.
The Route to the Final — Who Stands in Their Way?
Defending a World Cup title is one of the hardest things in football. Only Brazil (1958 and 1962) have ever successfully defended the trophy. Every team knows your strengths, every team is motivated to beat the champions, and there is nowhere to hide.
Biggest Threats to Argentina
- 🇫🇷 France — Mbappé vs Messi. The torch being passed from one generation to the next. If they meet in the final, it would be the most anticipated match in World Cup history.
- 🇧🇷 Brazil — The eternal rivalry. Brazil arrive in 2026 with a refreshed squad and a point to prove after their 2022 quarter-final heartbreak. A Brazil vs Argentina semi-final would stop the world.
- 🇬🇧 England — Bellingham, Saka, Foden. England have the quality to beat anyone. And they have painful memories of losing to Argentina in previous tournaments.
The Emotional Factor — Why You Should Never Write Off Argentina
Football is not played on paper. If it was, Argentina would not have won in Qatar — they lost their opening game to Saudi Arabia and looked like early exits. Instead, they went on to win the whole thing.
What Argentina have that most teams do not is an unbreakable belief. A conviction, forged across decades of near-misses and heartbreak, that they are destined to win. Add to that the emotional weight of Messi’s farewell, and you have a team that will be almost impossible to beat in a one-off knockout match when it matters most.
The entire nation of Argentina will be willing them on. Messi’s teammates will run through walls for him. And Messi himself — knowing this is his last chance — will reach depths of motivation that most players never experience in their entire careers.
Verdict — Can They Do It?
Defending the World Cup is extraordinarily difficult. Argentina are not the favorites — France and England have stronger squads on paper. But this is Messi’s farewell. This is a team of champions who know what it takes. And this is a group of players who have already done the impossible once.
Our prediction: Argentina reach the semi-finals. Whether Messi has one last miracle in him beyond that — nobody knows. But one thing is certain: when Argentina take the field at World Cup 2026, the whole world will be watching.
Follow Global Match Day for live scores, match previews, and complete World Cup 2026 coverage from the opening game to the final at MetLife Stadium.
