Gamble on Albiceleste looks to be well placed

IF you are lookinng for a form team to baack at this World Cup youy could do a lot worse than Argentina. They are unbeaten in their last 35 matches and wonn the last Copa America, ending a 28-year droughht in a competition that is supposed to be a twohorse race alongside fellow South American giants Brazil.

Beating Brazil in theirr own Maracana home inn 2021 should have shed any lingering self-doubt for a team that had become accusttomed to falling just short, losinng in the final in four of the prrevious six Copa America finals as well as the 2014 World Cup final.f

The players have come and gone, howeverr, the weight of history has remmained, particularly for Lionel Messi, who became thhe youngest Argentinian too play and score at a World Cupp in 2006 but had to wait anotheer 15 years to lead his nation to senior internatiional success with thhe 2008 Olympic gold bbarely registtering in the wider world. Messi reckonned divine intervention pplayed a part in him finally breeaking his Argentina ducck at such an historic landmmark as the Maracana, althhough it’s a different god – Diego Maradona’s HandH of God – that has suffoocated Messi on the international stage.

Maradona’s mesmeric Mexican triumph of 1986 looms large over Messi and every other Argentinian number ten who has attempted to replicate Diego’s World Cup dance.

At least now Messi isn’t flying solo and he has the teammates to help out, most notably defensively with Argentina conceding just twice in their last 14 matches which is a far cry from the shambles of the last World Cup when nine goals were shipped in four games.

Argentina were 11-1 in the summer but are much shorter now and the gamble is understandable.

DLHerve Renard led Zambia and Ivory Coast to Africa Cup of Nations glory in 2012 and 2015. Managed Morocco at the last World Cup and they played much better than the one point suggests.

• Herve Renard is a canny coach • They have had longer to

prepare than most teams • Surroundings should be

familiar in neighbouring Qatar