Will Argentina put qualification behind them and leave Russia with silverware

Had it not been for the great Lionel Messi, Argentina would likely not be at the World Cup. Qualification from CONMEBOL is difficult for anyone, but for Argentina to put themselves in the position they did was surreal. The South American side have been a staple of almost every World Cup, but for a while it looked like they would miss out.

Qualification was rocky to say the least. With poor defending at key moments, and a lack of a solid midfield partnership, Argentina sat towards the bottom of the qualification standings for weeks. It was only a Messi masterclass that pulled them up the table, and onto a plane to Russia. From this, many have said that Messi will be integral to Argentina’s success at the World Cup. I disagree. Messi will be influential and give his all every game. This is a given. Even in a dead Argentina team, Messi was living and thriving. That’s just who he is. Messi’s humility, dedication, and passion for his club and country is what allows him to be as successful as he is. Yes, he is a fantastic athlete but there are many players taller, stronger, faster, or more skillful than Messi. However these players do not have the mindset of the magician, and it is this that sets Messi apart from everyone else on the planet. 

The key to the nations success then, will be how Messi’s teammates play. His strike partners are still to be determined, with Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain just two out of many options. Argentina are blessed with top quality goal scorers of all shapes and sizes. Moving backwards is where things get interesting, and where Argentina must improve from qualification. In the group stage, Argentina will be facing a lighting fast Nigeria team, a Croatian outfit with creativity all over the park, and Iceland, who can beat just about anybody through their hard work for 90 minutes. Needless to say, Argentina’s defense will be tested, and if it does not step up, things could get ugly very quickly. Luckily, Manchester City’s Nicolas Otamendi has shown why he is among the world’s best in the last few weeks. However he cannot defend alone, and Coach Jorge Sampaoli will be seeking more players with the do or die mindset of Otamendi and Messi to be in his squad for the tournament in June. The issue is that, despite a deep pool of players to select from, there are very few players who exhibit Messi level passion and intensity. Granted, there are terrific players who will more than likely allow Argentina to progress in the competition, but will they be able to compete with other teams of similar talent, but better character? Only time will tell.

Much like his Portuguese counterpart, Lionel Messi is perhaps one of the greatest players that has graced the field in decades. Yet he and Ronaldo both are still searching for international success at the World Cup. Both are unquestionably deserving of this silverware, however it is easy to argue that their teammates are yet to show the dedication and patriotism necessary to win a World Cup. This is very sad, as more likely than not, one or both of these phenomenal players will not win a World Cup in their careers. This is through no fault of their own. It is just the beauty of the game.