Appearances: 16
Best finish: Champions in 1978, 1986
Manager: Jorge Sampaoli
Star player: Lionel Messi
The South American giants only managing to confirm their place in the last qualification game, thanks to Barcelona star Lionel Messi’s timely hat-trick in the deciding match against Ecuador.
Coaches were changed – as many as three to put their campaign back on track. Gerardo Martino resigned in 2016 after Argentina lost to Chile on penalties in the final of the Copa America Centenario. Even Messi, planned to end his national team career after the painful loss.
Edgardo Bauza, who took over from Martino, convinced them to reverse his decision. Bauza, however, only lasted until April 2017 as head coach, and since then the team has been managed by Jorge Sampaoli.
This world would also see the last of some of their senior players in Russia - Sergio Romero, Angel Di Maria, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Lucas Biglia and Ever Banega. For captain Messi also it is probably the last opportunity to be a part of a World Cup winning team.
Attack has been Sampaoli way to secure Argentina’s first World Cup since 1986 but he had worries in the defense during the qualifying.
Gabriel Mercado, Javier Mascherano and Nicolas Otamendi will be in-charge of the backline while Biglia and Enzo Perez will occupy the central mid-field positions. Messi will have to support of Juventus striker Paulo Dybala upfront. Icardi, the Inter Milan striker and skipper along with Aguero, Manchester City’s prolific striker, are the other pillars in the teams quest for the title.
Argentina are two-time winners of the World Cup. In 1978, as hosts they beat the Netherlands in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. Then in 1986, Argentina were led to victory by the mercurial Diego Maradona who scored a total of five goals, including the two most memorable. One into the England net - known as the ‘Hand of God’ and then a mesmeric run followed by a fine finish – voted by Fifa as the greatest goal in the history of the World Cup and Goal of the Century. Argentina have also finished runners-up at FIFA World Cup tournaments three times: in 1930, 1990, and 2014.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero, Wilfredo Caballero, Franco Armani
Defenders: Gabriel Mercado, Cristian Ansaldi, Nicolas Otamendi, Federico Fazio, Marcos Rojo, Nicolas Tagliafico, Marcos Acuna
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano, Eduardo Salvio, Lucas Biglia, Giovani Lo Celso, Ever Banega, Manuel Lanzini, Maximiliano Meza, Angel di Maria, Cristian Pavon
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero.
