Messidependencia" - a term used to refer to dependence on Lionel Messi - has been associated with Barcelona for many years. By the 2026 World Cup, that concept clearly reflects the image of the Argentine national team.
Before the confrontation with Switzerland in the quarter-finals, the focus is not on Messi's age. What worries fans is whether the satellites around him are capable of making a difference when entering the decisive stage of the tournament.
The long-awaited scenario between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo finally did not happen after Portugal was eliminated. Interestingly, the two teams brought two completely opposite stories. Portugal possesses a quality team, but Ronaldo no longer maintains his influence as before. Argentina is different, because most hope is still directed towards Messi.
The numbers show that. Messi scored 8 out of Argentina's total 14 goals at the 2026 World Cup. Besides, the Argentine captain also had an assist and directly created a goal from a corner kick in the match against Cabo Verde, although the situation was later considered an own goal.
Coach Lionel Scaloni affirmed that he is not concerned about the team's dependence on Messi and hopes the goals will be divided more evenly. However, the diễn biến on the field tells a different story.
El Pulga's influence far exceeds goal statistics. He is the one who keeps the pace of the game, conveys confidence and pulls the whole team to stand up in the most difficult times. Argentina needed 120 minutes to overcome Cabo Verde, and against Egypt, Messi was the one who ignited the comeback after his team was 2 goals behind.
That image reminds of Diego Maradona at the 1986 World Cup. At that time, the Argentine legend scored 5 goals, assisted five times and became the "soul" in the championship journey. However, Maradona still received timely support from Jorge Valdano, Jorge Burruchaga or Jose Luis Brown.
Argentina currently still retains most of the squad that won the 2022 World Cup. However, the void left by Angel Di Maria has not been filled. That is one of the reasons why Scaloni's team faces more difficulties than 4 years ago.
The last 2 matches have revealed quite a few limitations. Cabo Verde and Egypt both created no small waves in front of Argentina's goal, something that rarely happened in the 2022 championship journey. The South American team appeared slower in transitions, easily exploited on both wings and often revealed space behind the midfield.
The defense has also not brought peace of mind. Cristian Romero is still dangerous in attacking situations, while Lisandro Martinez contributed one goal and one assist. However, the defensive ability of both is not really convincing, especially after errors in the match against Egypt. The two wings have also not brought the expected solidity.
In terms of individual quality, this is not necessarily the strongest generation of Argentine football. Besides Messi, very few players are considered world number one in their positions. Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez are both top strikers, but their influence is still not comparable to Harry Kane, Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe.
The deeper the World Cup goes, the greater the pressure on Messi. However, a team that wants to defend the championship cannot rely solely on one star, no matter how great the player is. Argentina will need many other names to stand up and make a difference if they want to continue their journey to conquer the gold cup.
