Just a month out from the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi has named the six countries he believes could challenge Argentina for gold at football’s biggest showpiece event. And as long as Lionel Scaloni’s side still has the greatest footballer of all time pulling the strings, La Albiceleste will always fancy their chances.
At the 2022 tournament in Qatar, the Inter Miami star was front and centre in Argentina’s first World Cup triumph since 1986, scoring seven goals and providing three assists. Four years on, Father Time still appears to be struggling to catch up with him, with Messi already recording nine goals and three assists in his opening 11 MLS matches of the new season.
But Messi knows better than most that Argentina will have no easy ride in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer. The 38-year-old recently named the nations he believes are capable of standing in the reigning champions’ way as he prepares to defend football’s ultimate prize.
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“We have to get excited, like Argentinians always do whenever there’s an official competition, whether it’s the Copa America or the World Cup, but we also have to know that there are other favorites ahead of us," Messi told YouTube channel Lo del Pollo, as cited by Yahoo Sports. Believing his side, who also feature Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez, and Emiliano Martinez, aren't hot favourites, he continued:
“Right now, France looks very good again. They have many top-level players. I think Spain, Brazil - although they haven’t been at their best lately - are always contenders and have the players to compete in all official competitions.
"Then we all say the same things. Germany, England, the big powers… Portugal has a very competitive and good team too. And then there’s always some surprise…”
He did also preface that his Argentina side "will always compete and give their best, just like they have since this group came together," and you certainly wouldn't bet your bottom dollar against the Barcelona legend from reaching football's summit yet again.
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With eight wins and eight clean sheets across their qualifying campaign, Thomas Tuchel's side became the first European nation ever to go through a whole qualifying cycle with a perfect record without conceding a single goal. And so, it doesn't need to be said that the Three Lions are feeling optimistic about putting to bed six decades' worth of heartbreak behind them.
Gareth Southgate got England to back-to-back European Championship finals during his feel-good summers in charge, but his German successor brings with him a track record of getting teams over the line - three league titles in each of his three seasons at Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, and a Champions League mantle with Chelsea.