Lionel Messi and the Argentina men’s national team know its path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and it’s not going to be easy for the defending champions.
Argentina won Group J by going undefeated with wins over Algeria, Austria and Jordan – which has seen Messi become the all-time goalscorer in World Cup history. La Albiceleste remains one of the favorite teams to lift the title on July 19 with odds at +400, only behind France.
Here’s what you need to know about Argentina’s path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final:
How Argentina’s Path Was Decided
This simulation of Argentina’s path to the World Cup final assumes two things:
- That the team wins every one of its knockout stage games.
- That the team with the highest FIFA ranking in every other matchup wins as expected, starting with the round of 32.
This creates the hardest — and maybe most realistic — path for Argentina to make the final.
Round of 32 vs. Cape Verde
(Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Date: July 3
Location: Miami
- Opponent: Cape Verde
- FIFA Rank: 64
- Record: 0W-3D-0L
- Odds To Win Tournament: +150000 (worst)
Round of 16 vs. Egypt
(Photo by Emma Ottosen/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Date: July 7
Location: Atlanta
- Opponent: Egypt
- FIFA Rank: 26
- Record: 1W-2D-0L
- Odds To Win Tournament: +25000 (tied for 25th-best)
Quarterfinals vs. Colombia
(Photo by Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Date: July 11
Location: Kansas City
- Opponent: Colombia
- FIFA Rank: 11
- Record: 2W-1D-0L
- Odds To Win Tournament: +3300 (tied for 10th-best)
Semifinals vs. England
Date: July 15
Location: Atlanta
- Opponent: England
- FIFA Rank: 4
- Record: 2W-1D-0L
- Odds To Win Tournament: +700 (tied for third-best)
Final vs. France
Date: July 19
Location: New York/New Jersey
- Opponent: France
- FIFA Rank: 2
- Record: 3W-0D-0L
- Odds To Win Tournament: +360 (best)
