Qatar 2022 | Know the favourites: can Messi finally steer Argentina to glory?

Could this be a fairytale final Fifa World Cup appearance for the talismanic Lionel Messi? It is almost 40 years since Argentina last won the World Cup, but La Albiceleste have another chance to rise to the pantheon of the game in what could be the perfect swansong for their creative mainstay, Messi.

In his honours cabinet, Messi boasts Olympic and Copa America gold medals, but he suffered the ultimate heartbreak as Argentina lost 1-0 to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final at the Maracanã Stadium in ‎Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

He will be 35 years old when the 2022 Qatar World Cup begins and Argentina’s first match against Saudi Arabia on November 22 will be his 20th at the tournament, in which he has six goals to show for his efforts. Such a return is seen as underwhelming for a player who has dominated the game for the past decade and is generally regarded as the best player of at least the 21st century.

There is no doubt the Argentinian players are aware of the weight of expectation to end the 40-year drought by going all the way in a World Cup that will probably be the last for a number of senior players.

After a poor showing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Jorge Sampaoli was fired and replaced by former international Lionel Scaloni, who has mastered an excellent turnaround. Argentina took third place at the 2019 Copa America and ended a 28-year drought winning it in 2021.

La Albiceleste have been drawn in a relatively comfortable group, on paper. 

Saudi Arabia have only once advanced past the group stage, in 1994. However, it is not going to be easy against Mexico, who have vast World Cup experience and will be led by Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Raul Jiminez. Poland will be led by and one of the world’s top five players, Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski, but are making just their fourth World Cup appearance since 1990 and last went past the group stage in 1986.

Previous World Cup performance: Champions 1978, 1986; runners-up 1930, 1990, 2014; quarterfinals 1966, 1998, 2006, 2010; last-16 1994, 2018; second group stage 1974, 1982; group stage 1958, 1962, 2002; first round 1934.

Key players: Lionel Messi (midfielder/attacker, Paris Saint-Germain, France); Emiliano Martinez (goalkeeper, Aston Villa, England); Cristian Romero (defender, Tottenham Hotspur, England); Rodrigo de Paul (midfielder, Atlético Madrid, Spain); Lautaro Martinez (forward, Inter Milan, Italy)

Coach: Lionel Scaloni
Current ranking: No 3
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Predicted finish in 2022: Semifinals

* The 2022  World Cup kicks off on November 20 and the final is on December 18.