BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - SEPTEMBER 04: Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates after scoring the team's third goal during the South American FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier match between Argentina and Venezuela at Estadio Más Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti on September 04, 2025 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)

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Winning one World Cup is the ultimate achievement. Winning two in a row is one of the sport’s rarest accomplishments.

Only Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962 have successfully defended a men’s World Cup title, a reflection of how difficult it is to remain at the summit across multiple tournament cycles. Four years can transform national teams, alter competitive landscapes and erode the physical and mental advantages that made champions successful in the first place.

As Argentina prepares for the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, it faces precisely that challenge: Not just winning the sport’s biggest prize again, but accomplishing something no nation has managed in more than six decades.

The task is made even more significant by the presence of Lionel Messi. Argentina’s captain arrives at what is widely expected to be his last World Cup, creating a narrative that extends beyond trophies and statistics. For Argentina, the tournament represents the chance to achieve a historic feat while providing a fitting conclusion to the era of the player who ultimately fulfilled the dreams of a football-obsessed nation by lifting the World Cup in Qatar four years earlier.

There is a striking historical symmetry to Argentina’s return to North America. The last time the United States hosted the World Cup in 1994, the tournament became synonymous with one of the darkest moments in Argentine history. Diego Maradona, the nation’s greatest icon at the time, was expelled from the tournament after testing positive for a banned substance. Argentina quickly became unraveled, ending in a round of 16 defeat and Maradona never played another World Cup match. For many Argentines, the tournament marked the painful end of an era.

Now, 32 years later, Argentina returns to the same continent with another generational figure nearing the end of his international journey. Unlike Maradona’s final World Cup, however, Messi enters the tournament as a reigning world champion and with little left to prove. But soccer’s greatest players are rarely driven solely by what they have already achieved. The prospect of leading Argentina to back-to-back World Cups would elevate both his legacy and that of this Argentine generation into territory occupied by only the most celebrated teams in the game’s history.

Messi’s career has long been measured against impossible standards. Every major milestone seemed to invite another debate, another comparison and another challenge. The 2022 World Cup victory, won in an epic final against France that went to penalties, resolved the one lingering question that had followed him throughout his career, allowing many observers to finally place him alongside or above Maradona. A second consecutive World Cup would not necessarily settle every argument about the game’s greatest player, but it would add another compelling chapter to a resume that already appears unmatched in its breadth and longevity.

Messi, who turns 39 this month and has suffered from muscle fatigue, sat out Argentina’s final pre-World Cup friendly against Honduras. In fact, several of the core players who helped win the World Cup glory in Qatar arrive with injury issues. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, whose performances in penalty shootouts became central to Argentina’s triumph in 2022, has been recovering from a fractured finger. Defender Cristian Romero has been working his way back from a knee injury, while several other members of the squad are managing muscle problems.

For manager Lionel Scaloni, the buildup to the tournament has involved balancing confidence in his experienced core with the reality that many players are entering the competition less than fully fit.

At the same time, it’s exactly this core group that has become one of Argentina’s greatest strengths. Teams that succeed often rely on continuity, trust and collective understanding. Scaloni has built those qualities carefully over several years, guiding Argentina to the Copa America in 2021, the World Cup in 2022 and another Copa America triumph in 2024. His decision to retain the majority of the Qatar-winning squad reflects a belief that chemistry and experience can outweigh concerns about age and fitness.

That continuity also provides stability as Argentina gradually prepares for a future beyond Messi. Players such as Julian Alvarez have become increasingly influential and now appear capable of carrying greater responsibility. The Atletico Madrid striker combines energy, intelligence and finishing ability in a way that makes him a natural focal point for the next generation. Scaloni, meanwhile, has also introduced younger players into the squad, signaling an awareness that renewal must begin even while the team continues to compete for major trophies.

The team arrives as defending world champion and one of the favorites to win the tournament, but not one of an overwhelming favorite like Spain or France. This reflects an understanding of how difficult World Cups are to win, let alone defend.

Injuries, form, tactical matchups and moments of luck can all shape outcomes in ways that no amount of preparation can fully control. It all fell into place for Argentina in 2022. This summer, they may not be so fortunate.

Clemente Lisi is the author of “The World Cup: A History of the Planet’s Biggest Sporting Event, 2026 Edition."