The current world champion will have the mission of defending its 2022 title starting next Monday the 16th, when it faces Algeria in Kansas City.
But to succeed at this year’s FIFA World Cup, Argentina will need to defy the FIFA Ranking “curse.”
This Tuesday’s (9) 3-0 win over Iceland confirmed that the Albiceleste will start the World Cup at the top of that ranking.
Which is not a good omen.
NEVER has a team that started the World Cup at the top of the governing body’s ranking — which has existed since 1994 — gone on to lift football’s most famous trophy.
Special mention goes to the Brazilian national team’s four “attempts.” Check out the history below:
1994 - 🇩🇪 Germany top-ranked - 🇧🇷 Brazil champion
1998 - 🇧🇷 Brazil top-ranked - 🇫🇷 France champion
2002 - 🇫🇷 France top-ranked - 🇧🇷 Brazil champion
2006 - 🇧🇷 Brazil top-ranked - 🇮🇹 Italy champion
2010 - 🇧🇷 Brazil top-ranked - 🇪🇸 Spain champion
2014 - 🇪🇸 Spain top-ranked - 🇩🇪 Germany champion
2018 - 🇩🇪 Germany top-ranked - 🇫🇷 France champion
2022 - 🇧🇷 Brazil top-ranked - 🇦🇷 Argentina champion
France (2002), Spain (2014), and Germany (2018) were the biggest disappointments, as they were eliminated in the group stage.
Absent from the 1990 and 1994 editions and eliminated without a win at Euro 92, France was only 18th when it won its first World Cup.
Italy, meanwhile, was in 13th place when it surprised everyone in 2006.
📊 How important is the Ranking?
The top two teams from each of the 12 groups will advance to the pre-Round of 16, along with the eight best third-placed teams.
And a team’s position in the FIFA Ranking is among the tiebreak criteria used to determine those eight teams.
The order released by FIFA is: 1) head-to-head; 2) better goal difference, 3) more goals scored; 4) fewer red and yellow cards; 5) better position in the FIFA ranking.
The Brazilian national team is currently sixth. Right ahead of its first opponent at the World Cup.
Scaloni rested players and ran tests
Unable to count on Dibu Martínez — recovering from a hand fracture — and with his natural full-backs far from ideal condition, Scaloni went with Giay at right-back and Medina at left-back.
The Palmeiras full-back is on the list of 55 names and had already faced Honduras. He is hoping to take the spot of the already cut Balerdi or even one of the full-backs.
Several starters were rested. That ensured, for example, Flaco López’s place in the starting XI.
Argentina started with: Rulli; Giay, Otamendi, Lisandro Martínez and Medina; Exequiel Palacios and Barco; Nico Paz, Lo Celso, Giovanni Simeone and Flaco.
And it went into halftime ahead thanks to Barcos, who pounced on a loose ball and beat Olafsson (8').
Romero, Lautaro Martínez, De Paul, Mac Allister, and Enzo Fernández were the first to come on at the start of the second half.
Argentina nearly doubled the lead after a passing move that ended with Lautaro hitting the post.
He came off the bench to DECIDE 🔥
Then came Messi, brought on in the 70th minute. Right after his first touch, he played Lautaro through brilliantly, but the Inter Milan striker wasted the chance before winning a penalty.
Messi was the one who secured his 117th goal in 199 matches for Argentina in the 72nd minute.
The No. 10 came up big again in the 87th minute with a move that ended in Almada’s goal.
In just over 20 minutes, he showed that he has recovered well from muscle fatigue.
Argentina will make its debut next Tuesday (16), when it faces Algeria. Austria and Jordan complete Group J.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
