Argentina 2026 World Cup preview: Odds, key players and predictions

Argentina 2026 World Cup odds

Argentina head into this summer's tournament as one of the top five favourites, priced with shorter odds than Germany and the same odds as Brazil. However, they are viewed as less likely to emerge victorious than Spain, England and France.

In CONMEBOL qualifying for this summer's World Cup, Argentina were the highest-performing South American country. They finished on 38 points, with nine more than second-placed Ecuador and with a win rate of over 66%.

Priced at 8/1, Argentina could represent decent value for bettors who fancy the reigning champions as having a decent shot at going back-to-back and being crowned World Cup winners for the second time in less than four years.

Road to the 2026 World Cup

• Qualification record: 12 wins - 2 draws - 4 losses

• Goals for / against: 31 / 10

In 2001, FIFA changed the rules on World Cup qualification, with winners of the previous tournament no longer being given an automatic spot in the subsequent one. That means that Argentina had to get through the likes of Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador in CONMEBOL qualifying, and they did so in true style...

Argentina finished top of the qualifying group, picking up 38 points from a possible 54. They scored just shy of two goals per game in qualifying, conceding just over a goal every two games on average. With a lightning attack and strong defence, Argentina could be a real problem once again at this summer's tournament.

Best World Cup finish

Ladbrokes recently published an article running through every single winner of the World Cup throughout history, with Argentina featuring on that list three times.

They first won the tournament in 1978, and while the 1982 iteration was won by Italy, Argentina had their name on the trophy once again in 1986.

It was a long wait for their next World Cup triumph, with there being 36 years between Argentina's 1986 win, and when Lionel Messi lifted the trophy in 2022 in Qatar.

Confirmed squad & key players

It goes without saying but Messi, arguably the greatest player to ever play the game, will be one of the key men for Argentina at the World Cup, which kicks off in June.

However, a big advantage that Argentina have is that Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez can play more in the early games of the competition, allowing Messi to enter the latter stages fresh and without fatigue.

Mac Allister and Enzo, despite poor Premier League seasons with Liverpool and Chelsea, will be key in the middle of the park. Emi Martinez will look to carry on his momentum from winning the Europa League with Aston Villa by playing a key role on the international stage once again.

Argentina have yet to confirm their official 26-man squad for the forthcoming World Cup, but Ladbrokes will keep you informed with a full breakdown when they do.

Argentina's predicted lineup

Our predicted lineup for Argentina's opening game against Algeria sees them set up in a 4-3-3 formation.

• GK - Emiliano Martinez

• RB - Nahuel Molina

• CB - Cristian Romero

• CB - Nicolas Otamendi

• LB - Nicolas Tagliafico

• CM - Leandro Paredes

• CM - Alexis Mac Allister

• CM - Enzo Fernandez

• RW - Lionel Messi

• ST - Julian Alvarez

• LW - Thiago Almada

Argentina's Group J opponents

Argentina find themselves in Group J this summer with Austria, Algeria and Jordan. They will see anything other than winning their group as a major failure.

Austria and Algeria could be tough to beat, but Argentina simply have too much quality in attacking areas not to be seen as clear favourites, which is reflected in their 1/3 odds of winning the group.

For those interested, Ladbrokes has a more in-depth preview for Group J, featuring tips and insights.

Our Argentina World Cup prediction

As one of the five favourites to win the World Cup this year, anything less than reaching the latter stages of the knockouts will feel like a major failure for those in Argentina.

However, we think that the likes of France and Spain are a lot more balanced than Argentina, and England's squad may be more complete than the reigning champions too.

As such, we're tipping Argentina to reach the quarter-finals before getting knocked out, failing to go back-to-back after emerging victorious in the Middle East four years ago.

Prediction: Quarter-final exit

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All odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.

View the latest World Cup 2026 odds.