Argentina vs Saudi Arabia preview: Messi’s last chance to crown a glorious career, but will he be fit?
Lionel Messi looks likely to be fit in time for Argentina’s opening game of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Messi, who turned 35 this year, is not likely to play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. Quite simply, there is no escaping the irresistible narrative that this tournament is all about the legacy of one the game’s greatest players.
To date he has won four Champions Leagues, 11 domestic league titles, 15 domestic cups (including super cups), seven Ballon d’Ors, an Olympic Gold Medal and a Copa America. It is hard to ignore that there is only one thing yet to adorn his burgeoning trophy cabinet.
At the time of writing Argentina are the second favourites to take the Jules Rimet home this year, but they are likely to face tougher tests in Qatar than that of the host nation’s neighbours Saudi Arabia, with or without Lionel Messi.
When the PSG forward failed to appear in training on Friday there were rumours of injury heartbreak before a ball had been kicked, but the Argentina camp has been quick to dismiss the issue as nothing more than “muscle fatigue” requiring a bespoke training regime.
However, whether their captain starts or not, Las Albicelestes are unlikely to face too much of a challenge from the 51st-ranked team in the world.
This is an Argentina team that feels a lot more balanced than previous iterations. Emi Martinez provides a more reliable figure than we are used to seeing in net and a backline including notable Premier League defenders Lisandro Martinez and Cristián Romero went through the whole of Conmebol qualifying by only conceding eight goals. Generally a good sign for World Cup hopefuls.
Yet, it is the front end of the pitch that their qualities are still the most stacked. Talk of GOATs aside, this is an attacking selection that is bursting at the seams with the ever-green presence of Angel Di Maria likely to dovetail effortlessly down the right with one of Alvarez or Messi (fitness-dependent).
Injury to Giovani Lo Celso has been a blow in the lead up to the tournament, but with options such as Alexis MacAllister, Leandro Paredes and Rodrigo de Paul there is little chance that Lautaro Martinez will be feeding off scraps.
As for their less fancied opposition, any one of their standout wingers Salem Al Dawsar, Fahad Al Muwallad or Nawaf Al Abed have the ability to cause poorly organised defences some problems. If Herve Renard’s side are to make any impact on this tournament this is surely their only hope.
Nonetheless, they will be well-backed as tens of thousands of supporters are expected to cross the 54-mile border into Qatar.
A chance for them to see glory for their own team is unlikely, the question of whether they will get to see one of the game’s best ever players start a celebratory greatest hits tour of the gulf state is perhaps more pertinent.
