Group D: Argentina
We continue with Group D, considered since the draw as the classic "group of death" because it is probably the most formidable on paper. Argentina is accompanied by none other than Croatia, resilient Iceland, and Nigeria. Three important obstacles on Lionel Messi's path to the missing title on his record.
Argentina's National Team
Jorge Sampaoli's squad suffered a hard blow against Spain in the last friendly match played a few days ago. But no one doubts that the Albiceleste will be among the favorites, due to the quality of its players and its history in this tournament.
Lionel Messi (30 years old, FC Barcelona)
There are few things left to say about the Barcelona forward. He was chosen as the best player of the last World Cup in a somewhat controversial decision, although he has a bitter taste from the lost final in Brazil against Germany. Then his team fell twice against Chile in the Copa America. Now, hand in hand with Jorge Sampaoli, he will seek to enter the Olympus of world football by emulating Diego Maradona and giving his country its third World Cup crown. If he's at his best, he's unstoppable.
Ángel Di María (30, PSG)
El Fideo was Argentina's best player in the Brazil tournament, and his absence from the final was surely decisive for the outcome of that match. Although his performance has been rather irregular, he is a disruptive player and extremely effective in fast tournaments that are decided by details. The former Real Madrid player can be Messi's best partner in attack and will also attract many opponents towards him, which can facilitate his compatriot's work.
Éver Banega (29, Sevilla)
To win a World Cup, you have to be extremely effective in attack and solid in defense. That's why we could have chosen players like Nicolás Otamendi for this third place. But we have opted for the Sevilla midfielder because he will be in charge of carrying the weight of the team in the midfield, setting the pace, and executing his coach's plans on the field. He is having a great season and is therefore fully capable of performing this task.
Check out the analysis of the rest of the teams here.