Favourites: Argentina (Group A)
If ranked on a scale of 1 to 10, FIFA World Cup title-holders (2022) and Copa America defending champions Argentina will arguably sit at the top of the list.
A team ranked no. 1 on the FIFA Rankings and headlined by Lionel Messi shouldn’t have any problems emerging at the top of Group A, which also features Peru, Chile, and Canada.
Aged 36, the iconic no. 10 may be in the twilight of his career, but with multiple options in every corner of the pitch, Argentina’s star-studded squad are tipped to reach the finals once again.
Well-covered in goal, Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez will be between the sticks.
Well-known for stopping penalties, the Aston Villa goalkeeper, who played 34 games, kept eight clean sheets in the just-concluded season.
He also pulled off an impressive 95 saves for Villa, 66.2% of shots that would have ended up in the back of the net.
Argentina, who are on a 12-game winning run [12W, 0D, 0L], have the likes of Lyon’s Nicolás Tagliafico and Manchester United’s Lisandro Martínez in defence.
Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) and Exequiel Palacios, who helped Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long unbeaten run to a maiden Bundesliga title, also form the core of the midfield.
While City’s Julián Álvarez will present a goal threat, Lautaro Martínez, who was Serie A’s top scorer last season after 24 goals, will equally be a source of worry for defenders.
The 19-year-old Alejandro Garnacho also showed promising signs with Manchester United in the just-concluded season.
Surely, Lionel Messi deserves to be mentioned twice. ‘There’s not a lot of time left in my career,’ the Inter Miami star recently acknowledged.
However, leading his side to successive Copa America titles could be the extra motivation needed for a return to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Messi has scored a goal in each of the 12 games he has played while creating 10 assists in the current calendar year for Inter Miami.
With a 6.43 SCA/90 in the ongoing MLS season, Argentina’s leading scorer (108 goals), Messi, will be looking to wave his magic wand once again as he hopes to lead his side to a record 16th Copa America title.