Argentina World Cup Squad 2022
With the first-ever winter World Cup just around the corner, it’s time to talk squads. Who will get the call-up? Who will miss out? Which squads look strong, and which country has gaps in their squad?
Here we take a look at the 1978 and 1986 World Cup winners Argentina. The South American giants have long been one of the most feared teams in world football, least of all in recent times due to being captained by Lionel Messi, who is widely regarded as one of the very best players of all time. There are often high expectations on the team wearing those famous white and sky blue striped shirts, but have they got the squad to deliver this time around?
Experienced heads to keep youth in check
One of the first things that stands out as we peruse the list of players included in the Argentina squad for the September friendlies is the amount of young talent that manager Lionel Scaloni has to pick from. The latest squad features a whole host of young players who are starting to make a name for themselves, both in South America and Europe. It’s not just about youth, though.
Whatever the final 26-man Argentina World Cup squad looks like, it will feature no shortage of experienced heads, with the likes of Angel Di Maria, Franco Armani, Nicolas Otamendi, German Pezzella, Paulo Dybala, Rodrigo De Paul and of course Lionel Messi all likely to feature. With such players at his disposal, Scaloni knows that he has an older collective who between them have won just about everything there is to win at club level, while most of the above played a part in achieving Copa America success in 2021.
Youngsters to complete the perfect blend
Make no mistake about it, there will be some vastly experienced pros in the Argentina World Cup squad, but it will by no means be an old squad. What Scaloni will definitely have to choose from is a whole host of exciting young players, who should perfectly complement their seasoned veterans.
Who has been selected in the 26-man squad?
|
Emiliano Martinez |
Nahuel Molina |
Rodrigo De Paul |
Angel Di Maria |
|
Geronimo Rulli |
Gonzalo Montiel |
Leandro Paredes |
Paulo Dybala |
|
Franco Armani |
Cristian Romero |
Alexis Mac Allister |
Lautaro Martinez |
|
German Pezzella |
Guido Rodriguez |
Julian Alvarez |
|
|
Nicolas Otamendi |
Alejandro Gomez |
Nicolas Gonzalez |
|
|
Lisandro Martinez |
Enzo Fernandez |
Joaquin Correa |
|
|
Marcos Acuna |
Exequiel Palacios |
Lionel Messi |
|
|
Nicolas Tagliafico |
|||
|
Juan Foyth |
Group C: How Argentina Faired in Qatar So Far?
Even though Argentina started the tournament with a shocking loss to Saudi Arabia, they turned things around and even managed to claim the top spot in the group with a couple of wins over Mexico and Poland. In both those games, Argentina was the dominant team and that bodes well for their chances of going deep into the tournament.
Group C Final Standings
|
1. Argentina |
3 |
6 |
5 |
2 |
|
2. Poland |
3 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
|
3. Mexico |
3 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
|
4. Saudi Arabia |
3 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Argentina’s Last-16 Fixture
Argentina 2-1 Australia
As expected, Argentina had little trouble going past Australia, even though the result might not reflect that fully. Still, Argentina took the lead in the first half and doubled it in the second half and they were the dominant team all the time. However, Australia managed to get back into the game thanks to an own goal by Fernandez and even had one good chance to tie the game. In any case, Argentina rightfully gets to the quarter-finals from this match.
Argentina’s Quarter-Final Fixture
Netherlands 2-2 Argentina (Argentina won 4-3 on penalties)
Argentina looked to have their Quarter-Final match all tied up as the game entered its final stages. A goal from Molina and a Messi penalty had put the favourites 2-0 up with just 17-minutes left on the clock but van Gaal sent on his secret weapon, Weghorst, who first headed home to make it 2-1 in the 83rd-minute and then finished neatly with virtually the last touch in stoppage-time to take the game into extra-time. Argentina looked stunned but managed to hold on through the 30-minutes of extra-time to see the game decided by a penalty shout-out. Van Dijk and Berghuis both missed for the Dutch and although Fernandez fired his spot-kick wide for Argentina, Lautaro Martinez scored his to take Argentina into the Semi-Finals.
Argentina’s Semi-Final Fixture
Argentina 3-0 Croatia
Argentina had to fight hard in the early stages of this match as Croatia had lots of the ball but offered very little in the final third. When Argentina did make their way into the Croatia box, they earned a penalty and Messi made no mistake as he fired the ball into the top right-hand corner to make it 1-0 in the 34th-minute.
Argentina never looked back from that point on, making it 2-0 through Alvarez before the break, giving Croatia a lot to think about at half-time. Messi and co never really looked in any danger in the second forty-five and sealed their place in the Final thanks to a second goal from Alvarez who was neatly setup by Messi.
Argentina’s Odds
Argentina are the new favourites to win the 2022 World Cup but that could all change if France progresses through to the Final as most expect them to do. Lionel Messi’s goal against Croatia took him to 5-goals alongside Mbappe but the pair have Alvarez and Giroud just one-goal each behind and it is a four-horse race to see who will finish the tournament as the top scorer.
FAQ
When will the final Argentina World Cup squad be named?
There isn’t really a definite date for this, but the majority of the countries name their squads six weeks before the tournament commences. The final Argentina World Cup squad should be announced around the 30th of September, shortly after the upcoming round of friendlies and Nations League games have taken place.
Who is Argentina’s captain?
Lionel Messi is the current captain of Argentina. He will captain his country at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and has been the captain since 2010.
Will this be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup for Argentina?
Yes. This will be the final time that the man synonymous with footballing excellence represents his nation at the FIFA World Cup.
Who will be the Argentina manager for the World Cup?
The current manager of the Argentinian national football team is Lionel Scaloni, who previously played for a host of clubs and who made seven appearances for his country between 2003 and 2006.
Full Prediction: https://footballwhispers.com/blog/argentina-world-cup-squad-2022-the-potential-team/
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