PARIS — Holders Argentina arrive at the World Cup aiming to become the first team in more than half a century to successfully defend their title.
Only two teams – Italy in 1934 and 1938, and Brazil in 1958 and 1962 – have won back-to-back World Cup crowns, underscoring the difficulty of the task facing Lionel Messi and his team-mates.
Yet while history suggests the odds are stacked against the 2022 champions, there are grounds for believing that Argentina are more than capable of completing a rare double.
Coach Lionel Scaloni has retained the core of the squad that helped carry Argentina to the title in Qatar, with the 38-year-old Messi likely returning to captain the team in what will be a record sixth World Cup appearance.
The Argentines cruised through South American qualifiers with ease, losing only four of their 18 matches and finishing nine points clear of second-placed Ecuador.
That pedigree is likely to easily see them through a Group J that includes Algeria, Austria and Jordan, AFP reported.
The acid test though will come deeper in the tournament when Argentina run into elite European opposition.
Scaloni’s side, who open their tournament against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16, has not played a single game against a major European team since defeating France in the 2022 final.
