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DANA QUINTERO
Updated
Argentina already has its squad defined for the 2026 tournament, and Lionel Scaloni’s plan seems clear: repeat the formula that led them to glory in Qatar 2022, but with a blend of continuity and a new generation. Lionel Messi will once again wear the captain’s armband in what is expected to be his final World Cup, surrounded by names like Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández, and Alexis Mac Allister.
However, not everything is settled.
Because while the midfield and attacking areas look structured and reliable, there is one zone that continues to raise internal concerns within the Argentine project.
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The side of the pitch that still has no fixed owner
Heading into the tournament, the most fragile point for the national team appears to be the full-back positions, especially in defensive wide areas. Nahuel Molina remains the main option on the right, while Nicolás Tagliafico continues to occupy the left side, but the alternatives have not fully established the same level of security.
And that’s where the uncomfortable question emerges: what happens if there is an injury, a dip in form, or a tactical adjustment during the World Cup itself?
The options exist, but none seem to offer the same stability as the starters. Players like Gonzalo Montiel, Facundo Medina, or even Lisandro Martínez have been used as emergency solutions in those roles, though not all of them feel naturally suited to the position. That makes the scenario a real challenge if they are needed on the biggest stage.
A quiet problem inside a champion team
Argentina has built its recent success on collective strength, not individual dependency. But Scaloni’s system has also shown that when full-backs lose consistency, the team struggles to maintain width, clean build-up play, and defensive balance.
Can a detail like this change the course of a World Cup? In tournaments like this, the answer is often more uncomfortable than it seems.
Because the margin for error is minimal.
In the middle of all this, Messi’s presence remains the emotional and footballing core of the team. But it also serves as a reminder that time is running out. Every tactical adjustment, every structural doubt, carries more weight when the only objective is clear: to fight for the title once again.
Argentina does not arrive without certainty. It arrives with a proven, champion-level core. But even the most solid teams have small cracks that, in a World Cup, can become enormous.
And that is precisely the question surrounding La Albiceleste: whether that weak point remains a manageable detail… or the factor that reshapes the entire story of Messi in 2026.
