Argentina defend the World Cup in 2026 with Lionel Messi playing a likely final tournament, so the question that defines their title bid is simple: who carries them when he cannot? The answer is one of the deepest squads in the field. Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez score the goals, the 2022 midfield is intact and in its prime, the defence is world class, and a new generation led by Nico Paz is already arriving. This is no longer a one-man team.
The first worry about life beyond Messi is always goals. Argentina have a better answer than most: two forwards who would lead the line for almost any nation in the tournament.
The focal point of the attack. Lautaro is a prolific scorer at Inter and was a leading marksman at the 2024 Copa America. He gives Argentina a centre-forward who finishes chances whether or not Messi is the one creating them.
A relentless, two-way forward and Champions League winner. Alvarez can lead the line, drop into the ten or play off Lautaro, the kind of tireless modern attacker who lets Scaloni shape the front line around any opponent.
Argentina's title was built on a midfield that controlled the biggest games, and that midfield is still here. Crucially, it is now in its peak years rather than its emergence.
The passing hub. Enzo dictates tempo and progresses the ball from deep for Chelsea and Argentina, the midfielder most able to run a game in possession when Messi drops out of it.
The complete midfielder. A Premier League and Liverpool standout, Mac Allister covers ground, presses and arrives in the box, a tournament-tested operator at the heart of the team.
The engine and connector. De Paul does the running that lets the more creative players shine and has long been Messi's on-pitch lieutenant, with Leandro Paredes and Exequiel Palacios for depth.
The spine that wins knockout games. Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez are top Premier League centre-backs, Nicolas Otamendi adds experience, and Emiliano Martinez is among the best goalkeepers in the world. A title defence can be built on this alone.
The longer-term question is succession, and Scaloni has quietly started blending youth into the world champions. Some of these names will define Argentina's post-Messi era, and a few are ready to contribute now.
The point is not that any one of them replaces Messi, because nobody does. It is that Argentina are building a bridge between the 2022 champions and the next side, and that depth is what lets them rotate, rest the captain and keep winning across a long tournament. For the full picture, see the complete Argentina squad guide.
Argentina are in Group J with Austria, Algeria and tournament debutants Jordan, the kind of group where managing minutes and rotating the squad matters as much as raw quality.
That final group game is exactly where squad depth earns its value, protecting the captain for the knockouts. For the full group picture, read our Group J guide with fixtures, venues and predictions.
Messi remains the difference-maker, the player who turns a strong team into a winning one. But the case for Argentina in 2026 is that they no longer live or die by him alone.
The spine of 2022 is intact and in its prime, the attack has two elite strikers, the defence and goalkeeper are among the best in the tournament, and the next generation is genuinely arriving. That blend lets Scaloni manage Messi's minutes, win games when he is marked out of them, and still have a match-winner in reserve for the moments that decide knockout football. The depth does not replace Messi. It is what makes one last title defence realistic. Expect Argentina to lean on him when it matters most, and to be carried by the rest of the squad the rest of the time.
Argentina are one of 48 nations heading to the 2026 World Cup. Explore the rest of the WorldCuply.com guide:
Lionel Scaloni's official 26, the 2022 core and the new generation, marked against our projection.
See the squad ›Argentina, Austria, Algeria and Jordan: the full fixtures, venues, dates and a prediction.
Open Group J ›Our data-led power ranking of the 2026 contenders, the dark horses, and a single prediction.
See the ranking ›The path to the MetLife final, and why Brazil and Argentina sit in the same half of the draw.
See the bracket ›Squad, fixture and venue details were checked against official and authoritative sources:
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