
World champions in 2022 and Copa América winners in 2024, Scaloni's Argentina arrive as the primary candidates to defend their title. Messi leads alongside Di María in what could be the last World Cup for both. Lautaro and Álvarez form one of the tournament's most dangerous strike partnerships. Emiliano Martínez is the world's best goalkeeper. Otamendi and Romero are one of the most solid centre-back pairings in the competition. Group J, alongside Algeria, Austria and Jordan, is very manageable.