Argentina is an Argentine football national team. The team was founded in 1893. Argentina is commonly known by the code ARG. Home matches are played at Estadio Alberto José Armando in Ciudad de Buenos Aires, which has a listed capacity of 85,018 on a grass surface. Argentina competes in World Cup and other competitions tracked on Sportra. Argentina's Sportra hub links squad lists, upcoming fixtures, recent results, multi-competition standings, advanced season statistics, and headline news in one place. On Sportra you can follow Argentina fixtures, results, squad, league standings, season statistics, and the latest football news.
ARG · National
Lionel Messi turns 39 today as the World Cup's all-time top scorer. Having led Argentina to the Round of 32, discover the final 3 records he can still break. On June 24, 2026, Lionel Messi officially celebrates his 39th birthday, marking a historic personal milestone in the middle of a phenomenal run at the 2026 World Cup. While most players of his generation have long since transitioned into coaching or punditry, the legendary Argentine captain is spending his birthday week standing entirely alone at the absolute pinnacle of international football. Following an unforgettable performance on Monday where his clinical brace against Austria steered Argentina safely into the Round of 32, Messi completely rewrote nearly a century of tournament folklore. He didn’t just break the records; he took total custody of them. Before diving into the historical milestones he can still conquer over the next month, let’s look at the elite tournament benchmarks Messi already holds outright: Outright All-Time Top Scorer: 18 total goals, sitting completely clear of Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16) and Brazil’s Marta (17) after his 5-goal explosion in just two games this summer.Most Match Victories: 18 career World Cup wins, moving clear of Klose following Monday’s victory in Dallas.Most Matches Played: 28 total tournament appearances stretching across an unprecedented six different editions.Longevity Benchmark: Joint longest time span between a player’s first and last tournament goals (20 years, 11 days). Que seas muy feliz, Leo. Más feliz de lo que nos hacés a nosotros. ¡Feliz cumpleaños, capitán! 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/Imdy4jVogc— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) June 24, 2026 Even with the ultimate scoring mountain fully conquered, Messi’s historical bucket list isn’t completely finished. As Argentina moves into the single-elimination phase, here are the final three historic frontiers the birthday boy can still smash. The final 3 records Lionel Messi can still break 1. The outright all-time assist record While he safely owns the scoring record, Messi is currently tied at the very top of the creative mountain. According to verified modern-era statistics, Messi has accumulated 8 career assists, leaving him in a dead-heat tie with Diego Maradona. Because Messi is the only player in history to register an assist in five different World Cups, his creative consistency is unparalleled. One more goal-scoring pass to a teammate like Julián Alvarez or Lautaro Martinez will give him sole, undisputed ownership of the tournament’s all-time assist crown. 2. Most goals in a single tournament by an Argentina captain By netting five goals in just his opening two Group J fixtures, the 39-year-old maestro has completely redefined late-career attacking output. He is currently chasing the internal national record for the most goals scored by an active captain in a single World Cup campaign, a record currently held by Diego Maradona, who scored five as captain during the legendary 1986 run. One more strike pushes Messi past his former manager into standalone national history. Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina celebrating (Getty Images). 3. The most penalties taken (and missed) in history Proving that he is at least mortal, Messi’s dramatic missed penalty in the sixth minute against Austria actually keeps him on the path toward an unusual statistical milestone. The superstar now holds the joint record for both the most regular-play penalties taken (7) and the most penalties missed (3) in World Cup history. Another spot-kick in either direction will lock this record down as his alone. What’s next for Argentina’s captain? Following consecutive multi-goal victories, coach Lionel Scaloni has the ultimate luxury of managing his captain’s minutes. With the top seed in Group J firmly within their grasp, Argentina will look to wrap up a flawless opening stage this weekend: Matchday 3: Argentina vs JordanCalendar Date: Saturday, June 27, 2026Stadium Venue: Dallas Stadium (Arlingt
Already qualified to the next round, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni is planning several changes in Lionel Messi's squad for the last World Cup group stage game against Jordan. Following Lionel Messi‘s brace against Austria, Argentina has already secured its ticket to the Round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup with one group game left to spare. Set to face Jordan for Matchday 3, head coach Lionel Scaloni will be planning changes to the Albiceleste lineup for their final match of the group stage. The 2-0 win against Austria on Monday already punched Argentina‘s ticket to the next round, while Algeria’s subsequent 2-1 victory over Jordan locked up first place in Group J for Messi’s side. With the top spot secured, the upcoming match against the debuting Asian nation gives coach Scaloni a perfect opportunity to rotate his squad. During the press conference after the Austria match, Scaloni addressed how the early qualification impacts his tactical plans moving forward: “It doesn’t change anything for us. We all would have preferred to win both matches. Now we will analyze. There is still one left to be played between Jordan and Algeria. We will see the result. The idea is to give the majority (of the players) the chance to play, which they deserve. As long as the match allows for it, we will do so.“ According to TyC Sports journalist and team insider Gaston Edul, the remaining members of the 26-man roster who did not feature in the opening two games are expected to get playing time in the final game of the group stage against Jordan. Argentina’s substitutions during the game against Austria. Scaloni to rest starters and manage workloads The one forced change for Argentina involves defender Cristian Romero, who was substituted against Austria after feeling discomfort in his recently sprained right knee. Veteran Nicolas Otamendi replaced him in the 57th minute and is set to start against Jordan while the coaching staff waits for the Tottenham center-back to recover for the Round of 32. Other key names expected to feature are Nicolas Tagliafico and Julian Alvarez. Both players have seen limited action in the tournament due to recent physical issues, but they are back to full fitness and will test their form against Jordan. According to Edul, several depth players who haven’t logged any World Cup minutes yet will also get an opportunity. Marcos Senesi is expected to rotate into the backline, while Exequiel Palacios, Valentin Barco, and Giovani Lo Celso could anchor the midfield, with forward Jose Manuel Lopez potentially making his tournament debut. Will Messi play against Jordan? With qualification in the bag, Scaloni’s primary goal is to avoid unnecessary risks against Jordan, who sits at No. 72 in the FIFA rankings after their loss to Algeria. Despite the match being a dead rubber for Argentina, Lionel Messi could still make an appearance in what will be his first match since turning 39. TNT Sports journalist Maximiliano Grillo reports that Messi fully intends to play against Jordan this coming Saturday. The Argentine captain has always made it clear that he hates sitting out, and a few key factors are pushing him toward the starting lineup. Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina celebrating. First, this is Messi’s final World Cup, and coming off a blazing start with five goals in two matches, he wants to keep his offensive rhythm going. Additionally, there is an 11-day gap between the Austria match and the Round of 32 fixture, meaning Scaloni might start his captain simply to keep him sharp and avoid a long layoff without competitive minutes.
Argentina have started the 2026 World Cup with back-to-back wins, with Lionel Messi scoring five times already - but the question is, what would happen to our current world champions if their talisman was injured?
Atletico Madrid have launched an attack on Barcelona, threatening to take the Catalan giants to the football governing bodies over their pursuit of Julian Alvarez.The Argentina international caused a ...
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