Argentina were World Cup winners in 1978 and 1986.
Other noteworthy exhibits: Copa America champions 15 times, including in 2021; FIFA Confederations Cup champions in 1992; Olympic gold medalists in 2004 and 2008
FIFA ranking: 3rd
They qualified after finishing second to Brazil in the lone South American qualifying group.
Who is their coach?
Lionel Scaloni, age 44, was the assistant coach to Jorge Sampaoli during Argentina’s unsuccessful 2018 World Cup campaign. Then, he succeeded Sampaoli, initially in an interim capacity before being hired permanently. As a player, Scaloni won the 1997 Under-20 World Cup with Argentina alongside Juan Roman Riquelme and Esteban Cambiasso, who were both fullbacks.
He was also a member of the Deportivo la Coruna squad that won the 2000 and 2002 Spanish championships.
Argentina qualified for the World Cup without a loss and will travel to Qatar with a 35-game win streak intact. Scaloni’s contract was renewed in September, according to the Argentine Football Association.
Key personnel
At the age of 35, Lionel Messi is aware that this will be his final World Cup, and he comes to Qatar having scored 90 goals in 164 appearances for his country – he has earned more caps and scored more goals for Argentina than anyone else.
After a difficult first year at Paris Saint-Germain following his move from Barcelona, Messi has been in terrific form in the run-up to the World Cup, scoring 12 goals and registering 14 assists in 18 games for his team.
Taken from: The Citizen