Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has admitted that defending the FIFA World Cup will be a daunting task as La Albiceleste prepare to begin their title defence at the 2026 tournament.
Argentina will kick off their campaign against Algeria on June 17, aiming to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully retain the World Cup trophy.
The South American giants were crowned world champions for the third time in 2022 after defeating France in a dramatic penalty shootout in Qatar. Since then, Scaloni’s side has maintained an impressive record, suffering just four defeats across international friendlies, the 2024 Copa America and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Argentina head into the tournament in excellent form, having won each of their last five matches. Their most recent outing ended in a commanding 3-0 victory over Iceland, a result that helped propel them to the summit of the latest FIFA world rankings.
Despite their strong form, Scaloni remains cautious about his team’s chances of lifting the trophy again.
“It is quite challenging to say that we will win the World Cup again because it is very difficult,” Scaloni said after the victory over Iceland.
“However, I can assure you that these players will give everything on the pitch. We will fight until the very end.”
Argentina have been drawn in Group J alongside Algeria, Austria and Jordan as they seek another memorable run on football’s biggest stage.
According to Opta’s latest projections, Argentina are currently the fourth favourites to win the tournament, with a 10.5 per cent chance of claiming the title.
