Qatar 2022: Argentina is forced to add points vs.
Mexico 7:30
(CNN Spanish) -
Argentina arrived in Qatar with a memorable streak of 36 games without defeats and a team that, even with Leo Messi at the helm, bases its strength on collective play above the stars.
However, his debut in this World Cup was a setback: he lost 2-1 against Saudi Arabia.
The albiceleste arrived with a team built with time and work, which does not depend exclusively on the inescapable figure of Messi - although he is, without a doubt, its star par excellence.
How has Argentina fared in the soccer World Cups?
All the data of one of the favorites
The technical director Lionel Scaloni managed to build a team that bases its strength on the collective game, on personality and on knowing in depth both its virtues and its defects.
It was a silent job, even against the criticism that intensified from the beginning of the cycle and that only silenced with the victory in Brazil in the Copa América in 2021.
Messi, the captain and soul of the albiceleste
At 35 years old, this is "surely" Messi's last World Cup, according to his own words, and therefore the last chance to lift the cup and definitively surpass Diego Maradona as the most important player in the history of the Argentine team.
Varsky's analysis of the Argentine team against Saudi Arabia 1:51
His World Cup debut was in Germany 2006, a competition in which he scored just one goal and Argentina was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
In South Africa 2010, with Maradona as coach, La Pulga started in all the games, but they said goodbye without goals, once again eliminated against Germany.
advertising
In Brazil 2014 he shone in all his splendor with a goal in his debut against Serbia, the same against Iran and a brace against Nigeria.
With four goals, he won the Ballon d'Or as the best player in the World Cup.
Russia 2018 was a cup to forget: just one goal against Nigeria in the group stage.
The albiceleste said goodbye to the World Cup in the round of 16 after losing to France.
In total Messi has scored 7 goals in 20 World Cup games.
Say Maria and Dybala
Messi is the captain and the soul of the team, but the team is not "messside-dependent".
That is, perhaps, the greatest virtue and the greatest achievement of Scaloni as manager at the head of the Argentine team.
There are two other figures of particular note, both on offense: Ángel Di María and Paulo Dybala.
Di María, 34, made his debut in the senior team in 2008. He currently plays for Juventus, after a successful career that took him to Manchester, PSG, Real Madrid and Benfica after his beginnings in Rosario, where he is from .
He has participated so far in 13 matches for the national team, scoring two goals in total.
Paulo Dybala, although a substitute, is another of the figures with great brilliance.
The 29-year-old striker arrives from Roma after a career that has so far seen him feature at two other Italian teams, Juventus and Palermo.
Qatar 2022: this great team would be part of the ideal team today, according to Varsky 1:22
Scaloni's squad
Archers:
Emiliano Martinez
Geronimo Rulli
Franco Armani
Defenders:
Nahuel Molina
Gonzalo Montiel
Christian Romero
German Pezzella
Nicholas Otamendi
Lisandro Martinez
Marcos Acuna
Nicolas Tagliafico
john foyth
Midfielders:
Rodrigo DePaul
Leandro Paredes
Alexis MacAllister
guido rodriguez
Alejandro Gomez
Enzo Fernandez
exequiel palacios
Forwards:
angel di maria
Lautaro Martinez
Julian Alvarez
Nicholas Gonzalez
Joaquin Correa
Paulo Dybala
Lionel Messi
(ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)
This is how Argentina formed in its first game
The albiceleste opened on Tuesday, November 22 against Saudi Arabia at the Lusail stadium.
This was the headline:
Emiliano 'Dibu' Martínez in goal, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi and Nicolás Tagliafico in defense.
Rodrigo de Paul, Leandro Paredes, Ángel Di María, Alejandro Gómez were in the midfield and Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martínez were on offense.
What changes will Scaloni make to face the Mexico team led by "Tata" Martino?
With information from Juan Pablo Elverdin, Sofía Benavides, Elizabeth Pérez and Ángela Reyes from CNN en Español.
ArgentinaLeo MessiArgentina National Team