Can Argentina Win the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Argentina entered the FIFA World Cup 2026 as the world’s top-ranked national team and have played like one so far.

Three wins from three group-stage matches, eight goals scored and just one conceded have reinforced their status among the leading contenders.

The knockout stage now begins, but the biggest tests may still be waiting further down the bracket.

Argentina topped Group J with a perfect nine-point record, scoring eight goals while conceding only once.

Their campaign began with a 3-0 victory over Algeria before another composed display against Austria ended in a 2-0 win.

They completed the group stage by defeating Jordan 3-1 to finish first without dropping a point.

Lionel Messi has been at the heart of that success.

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Six of Argentina’s eight goals have come from the captain, who has once again shown why he remains one of the tournament’s biggest match-winners.

While none of their group-stage opponents were considered among the strongest teams in the competition, Argentina handled every challenge professionally and never looked in danger of losing control of a match.

Cape Verde now stand between Argentina and the Round of 16.

Simply reaching the knockout stage represents a historic achievement for Cape Verde, but Argentina remain overwhelming favourites according to the bookmakers.

Should the favourites continue to advance, Egypt would likely be waiting in the next round after their meeting with Australia.

On paper, Argentina would also be expected to carry the advantage in that matchup, leaving them well placed to reach the quarter-finals.

The projected FIFA World Cup route becomes considerably more demanding from the quarter-finals onwards.

Colombia are currently the most likely quarter-final opponents, and recent meetings show why that could become Argentina’s first major test.

Argentina needed extra time to beat Colombia in the 2024 Copa América final and advanced on penalties in the 2021 semi-final.

More recently, Colombia defeated Argentina 2-1 in FIFA World Cup qualifying before the return fixture ended in a 1-1 draw.

Those results underline how competitive this matchup has become in recent years.

Should Argentina reach the semi-finals, current betting projections point towards a meeting with Brazil, England or Mexico.

A potential final against France is also viewed as one of the most likely outcomes if both sides continue progressing through their respective halves of the draw.

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Argentina have done everything expected of one of the tournament favourites.

The perfect group-stage record, combined with Lionel Messi’s outstanding form, has strengthened confidence that they can mount another serious title challenge.

The draw also appears favourable in the short term, with Cape Verde and potentially Egypt standing between Argentina and the quarter-finals.

From that point onwards, however, every match could feel like a final.

Colombia, Brazil, England, Mexico and France all possess the quality to challenge for the trophy themselves.

Argentina remain one of the strongest candidates to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but the decisive stage of their campaign is only just beginning.