Argentina still has a pending account in its World Cup history: it has not yet been able to achieve a victory. In rainy Hamilton, The selection lost 2-0 against Sweden and said goodbye. The close defeat against the Scandinavians, one of the powerhouses, was another sign of the evolution of the Argentine team, which bid farewell to the World Cup with 1 point from the 2-2 draw against South Africa in the second match after the 1-0 loss against Italy in the debut.
The fourth place reflects the difficulty that the G group represented, with opponents who showed the superiority they still have over the Argentinean team.
The hope was placed in the presentation, since Italy was the objective that the Argentinean players aimed for to seek the first victory in history in a World Cup. And despite the very good collective performance, with Estefanía Banini leading the way with good play, the goal at the end of the game was a hard blow for Germán Portanova's team.
In the second round, the final feeling was one of joy although success once again eluded them. The epic comeback against South Africa after suffering a two-goal disadvantage meant much more emotionally than mathematically. The 2-2 allowed Argentina to reach the final match with the chance to qualify, but with their own and others' needs: they had to beat Sweden and also hope for a favorable result in the match between Italy and South Africa.
The expected defeat at the end of the fourth World Cup appearance once again left the feeling that Argentina continued its upward path while still remaining far from the powerful teams. They were up to the challenge against Sweden, the runner-up in 2003 and third in 1991, 2011, and 2019, but failed to seriously discomfort the Europeans.
The balance of two defeats and one draw put an end to Argentina's performance, which in this way has accumulated 9 losses and 3 draws in its journey through the World Cups that began in the United States in 2003, continued in China in 2007, and earned its first points in France in 2019.
The performance in the 2023 World Cup delivered a bittersweet taste. The future is more promising than the present, which marked Estefanía Banini's farewell, the best player of the team.