Argentina arrive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup carrying the tag of reigning world champions. Four years ago in Qatar, Lionel Messi finally lifted football's most coveted trophy and cemented his legacy. Now, La Albiceleste are chasing another piece of history, becoming the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup.
Farewell for Messi?
At 38, Lionel Messi is set to feature in a record sixth FIFA World Cup. While the Inter Miami superstar has not officially confirmed this will be his final World Cup, many fans see the tournament as the closing chapter of an extraordinary international career.
Messi remains the heartbeat of Argentina's attack, but unlike in 2022, he no longer carries the entire burden. The squad around him is deeper, younger and more experienced.
Argentina have the quality, experience and winning mentality to make another deep run. With Messi still leading the way and a strong supporting cast around him, reaching at least the semi-finals appears a realistic expectation.
Argentina FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule
Wednesday, June 17: Argentina vs Algeria, Kansas City Stadium, 6:30 AM IST
Monday, June 22: Argentina vs Austria, Dallas Stadium, 10:30 PM IST
Sunday, June 28: Argentina vs Jordan, Dallas Stadium, 7:30 AM IST
Argentina FIFA World Cup 2026 Squad
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, Geronimo Rulli, Juan Musso
Defenders: Leonardo Balerdi, Gonzalo Montiel, Nicolas Tagliafico, Lisandro ā Martinez, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Facundo Medina, Nahuel Molina.
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Valentin Barco, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo ā Fernandez.
Forwards: Julian Alvarez, Lionel Messi, Nicolas Gonzalez, Thiago Almada, Giuliano Simeone, Nicolas Paz, Jose Manuel Lopez, Lautaro Martinez.
FIFA World Cup 2026 live streaming
Fans can watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Zee's Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD. The live streaming of the games will also be Zee5.
