Four Nations Poised to Challenge Messi’s Quest for a Second World Cup
Argentina heads to North America as back-to-back Copa América champions and the dominant force in South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Under Lionel Scaloni, the squad amassed 38 points, scored 31 goals and conceded just 10.
The 38‑year‑old Messi finished the qualifying campaign as top scorer with eight goals. History shows that retaining the World Cup title has been achieved only once in the past 64 years.
Consequently, four rival nations are emerging as serious threats to Argentina's championship hopes.
Article facts
| Category | Football |
|---|---|
| Published | |
| Language | en |
| Free | Free — headline and summary on this page; no account |
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