Argentina arrives at the World Cup with what is considered to be the least controversial roster in recent history. No major omissions, no great surprises, only a final forced change that happened as a result of Giovanni Lo Celso’s injury, which gave room for Exequiel Palacios to join the squad. Lionel Messi leads a squad loaded with attacking power into his final World Cup, hoping to finally win the one trophy that has so far eluded him. The final against France was decided on penalties after finishing 3-3 after extra time, with Messi and Argentina lifting the World Cup trophy!
World Cup final: Argentina vs. France
| Match | Date | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Argentina vs. France (Winner: Argentina) | December 18, 2022 | 10 a.m. | Lusail Stadium |
How to watch the World Cup final for free from anywhere
| Territory | Language | Rights holder(s) | Price |
| Australia | English | SBS | Free |
| Belgium | French | RTBF | Free |
| Belgium | Dutch | VRT | Free |
| France | French | TF1 | Free |
| Germany | German | ARD | Free |
| Germany | German | ZDF | Free |
| Ireland | English | RTÉ | Free |
| Italy | Italian | RAI | Free |
| Netherlands | Dutch | NOS | Free |
| Portugal | Portuguese | RTP | Free |
| Spain | Spanish | RTVE | Free |
| United Kingdom | English | ITV | Free |
| Poland | Polski | TVP | Free |
| Sweden | Svenska | SVT | Free |
| Sweden | Svenska | TV4 | Free |
| South Korea | Korean | SBS (English) | Free |
| South Korea | Korean | KBS | Free |
| South Korea | Korean | MBC | Free |
| Japan | Japanese | Abema | Free |
| Denmark | Dansk | DR | Free |
| Norway | Norsk | NRK | Free |
| Finland | Finnish | Yle | Free |
| Finland | Finnish | MTV3 | Free |
| Brazil | Portuguese | TV Globo | Free |
| Mexico | Spanish | Azteca7 | Free |
| Mexico | Spanish | Televisa (vix) | Free |
Group stage: Argentina World Cup fixtures and match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Tues, Nov. 22 | Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia (Winner: Saudi Arabia, 2-1) | 5 a.m. | Lusail Stadium |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | Argentina vs. Mexico (Winner: Argentina, 2-0) | 2 p.m. | Lusail Stadium |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | Poland vs. Argentina (Winner: Argentina, 2-0) | 2 p.m. | Stadium 974 |
Final 26-man Argentina World Cup roster
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
| Goalkeeper | Franco Armani | River Plate (ARG) | 36 | 18 |
| Goalkeeper | Emiliano Martinez | Aston Villa (ENG) | 30 | 18 |
| Goalkeeper | Geronimo Rulli | Villarreal (ESP) | 30 | 4 |
| Defender | Marcos Acuna | Sevilla (ESP) | 30 | 42 |
| Defender | Nahuel Molina | Atletico Madrid (ESP) | 24 | 18 |
| Defender | Gonzalo Montiel | Sevilla (ESP) | 25 | 18 |
| Defender | Nicolas Otamendi | Benfica (POR) | 34 | 92 |
| Defender | Nehuen Perez | Udinese (ITA) | 22 | 1 |
| Defender | German Pezzella | Real Betis (ESP) | 31 | 31 |
| Defender | Cristian Romero | Tottenham (ENG) | 24 | 12 |
| Defender | Nicolas Tagliafico | Lyon (FRA) | 30 | 42 |
| Midfielder | Rodrigo De Paul | Atletico Madrid (ESP) | 28 | 43 |
| Midfielder | Enzo Fernandez | Benfica (POR) | 21 | 2 |
| Midfielder | Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez | Sevilla (ESP) | 34 | 15 |
| Midfielder | Alexis Mac Allister | Brighton (ENG) | 23 | 7 |
| Midfielder | Exequiel Palacios | Bayer Leverkusen (GER) | 24 | 20 |
| Midfielder | Leandro Paredes | Juventus (ITA) | 28 | 45 |
| Midfielder | Guido Rodriguez | Real Betis (ESP) | 28 | 25 |
| Forward | Julian Alvarez | Man City (ENG) | 22 | 11 |
| Forward | Joaquin Correa | Inter Milan (ITA) | 28 | 18 |
| Forward | Angel Di Maria | Juventus (ITA) | 34 | 123 |
| Forward | Paulo Dybala | AS Roma (ITA) | 28 | 34 |
| Forward | Lautaro Martinez | Inter Milan (ITA) | 25 | 40 |
| Forward | Lionel Messi | PSG (FRA) | 35 | 164 |
| Forward | Giovanni Simeone | Napoli (ITA) | 27 | 5 |
Star players in the Argentina World Cup team
Naturally, the first name on this list needs to be Lionel Messi. The Paris Saint-Germain star has been one of football’s top talents for two decades, and this is his final chance to bring Argentina its first World Cup since Diego Maradona’s 1986 side won it.
He will be well complemented by Ángel Di María (Juventus), on his way to what will probably be his fourth and final tournament. Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan) is most likely to be Argentina’s most dangerous presence in the box. And, even though he’s enduring a difficult season at Atlético Madrid, Rodrigo de Paul is a different beast when he wears the national jersey.
Who Is Argentina’s head coach?
Lionel Scaloni took over the coaching role provisionally after Argentina’s rocky performance at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Scaloni, a former Argentina international himself, quickly established a rapport with key players, including Lionel Messi. As the results improved, Scaloni took up the role on a permanent basis and then led the team to the most recent success at the Copa America 2021 in Brazil, where Argentina finally won an international tournament after 27 years.
Argentina national team strengths & weaknesses
Argentina arrives in Qatar showing great balance across all its lines. A strong goalkeeper, a defensive unit that has shown cohesion in recent times, and a star studded roster from midfield up, which is literally where most of the expectations are based.
Strengths
Besides the obvious presence of Lionel Messi, there are two major strengths Argentina arrives with. Winning the 2021 Copa America was a massive boost for a team that lost the continental final in 2015 and 2016. The team needed to know it could win finals, and what better than beating Brazil on their own turf, The second strength is, that for once the squad arrives in what is perceived to be great harmony. No traumatic qualifiers, no coaching changes before the event. Things are in place for the players just to focus on football and bringing the cup home.
Weaknesses
Argentina’s recent successes have been based on a midfield solidity that relied heavily on Giovani Lo Celso. Even though Argentina has a lot of depth in the roster, no player has his same skillset as the injured Villareal midfielder. One more potential weakness is around the defensive setup. Scaloni is taking nine defensive players in a roster of 26, and this is due to the fact that players like Tagliafico and Romero are not 100% from a health perspective and might not see action well until the second or third pool match.
FAQ: Argentina 2022 World Cup squad
When did Argentina last win the World Cup?
Argentina last won the World Cup in 1986, beating West Germany 3-2 to lift the trophy. The tournament was notable for the many impressive performances by Diego Maradona—as well as his controversial “Hand of God” goal against England in the semifinals. Prior to that, Argentina also won the World Cup at home in 1978.
How many times did Argentina win the World Cup?
Argentina has won the World Cup twice (1978, 1986)
How many times has Argentina been in the World Cup?
Argentina has missed four World Cup tournaments since the inaugural cup in 1930, but only failed to qualify for one of those since the 1938, 1950, and 1954 cups were boycotted due to differences between the Argentinean Association and FIFA, mostly around host nation selections. For Mexico 1970, a very poor qualifying round left Argentina out of the tournament.
How good is Argentina at football?
Football was introduced in Argentina very early in the 20th century as a result of the mass European immigration. As time went on, the sport became widely practiced across the vast territory and players of the caliber of Alfredo Di Stefano, Mario Kempes, Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi kept fans engaged.
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