Winning the World Cup twice in a row is extremely difficult. Italy did that in the 1930s, and Brazil did the same in 1958 and 1962. Both times they won their second tournament in their home country.
Next year, Argentina will try to do something unprecedented: defend the World Cup title in another half-final. This is a big challenge, but coach Lionel Scaloni has enough reason to be confident about how the team is preparing for the tournament.
Scaloni's story is really noteworthy. The former West Ham right-back was appointed to lead the Argentina team after the 2018 World Cup, despite not having experience in senior coaching. The main reason is the low cost, and few people thought he could last so long.
Instead, Scaloni ended a long streak without a title. Argentina crowned Copa America 2021 - their first noble title since 1993.
And just one year later, the biggest event took place: the World Cup in Qatar.
The secret to his success lies in exploiting Lionel Messi's abilities to the fullest. On the pitch as well as in real life, this small genius became a leader, a team leader and became connected with fans.
Messi was 35 years old at the time. Can he repeat everything in 2026, when he turns 39 throughout the tournament? This seems unlikely. El Pulga has not even given a definitive answer about whether he will play or not.
However, things are going well for Argentina, and the possibility of Messi appearing in the squad next year is becoming increasingly bright.
Messi's obvious concern is his inability to show his full potential. However, not having to face too much pressure has helped him maintain good form. Argentina's strength at the moment does not depend entirely on Messi's performance.
Last year, Argentina won another Copa America championship, defeating Colombia in the final. Messi has to leave the pitch due to injury, but the team has shown remarkable progress in his absence.
They easily qualified for the World Cup, taking the top spot with 9 points more than the second-placed team. In 18 matches, Messi has only played 10 times, including two from the bench.
Although still the team's top scorer, unlike previous campaigns, Argentina has no difficulties without Messi. Argentina's most impressive performance, a 4-1 win over Brazil, came when Messi was not on the field.
Obviously, Messi cannot be replaced by an individual, but the combination of Thiago Almada and Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid is showing great potential. Argentina have gradually found a way to win without Messi on the pitch.
This does not mean that Scaloni has no reason to worry. Angel Di Maria, who just had a glorious return with Rosario Central, retired internationally after Copa America last year. Always shining in important moments, his ability to break through is still without a replacement.
Argentina's biggest hope is Alejandro Garnacho, but Chelsea's winger has yet to develop as expected.
Meanwhile, the defense is still a big concern. Argentina's defense collapsed under pressure in the 2022 World Cup knockout round, almost losing the victory over Australia, the Netherlands and France. No new world-class defenders have emerged, and their defence remains largely the same as in Qatar.
Defensive leader Nicolas Otamendi will be absent from Argentina's opening match of the 2026 World Cup due to suspension. This is an opportunity for Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi to be given the left-sided centre-back position.
History shows that defending the World Cup title is extremely difficult, and Argentina will certainly face problems in defense.
However, with the presence of Messi and some confident young talents, the Tango team still has a chance to successfully defend the World Cup championship.
