Argentina champion: the 9 keys that explain why the national team was established at the World Cup in Qatar 2022

1) Messi’s World Cup

He arrived in Qatar determined to devour the World Cup, the last of his career. Even if, like the entire national team, the best version of him started in the second match against Mexico, the most difficult, the one that opened with a great goal. At age 35, he infected his and his strangers until nearly the entire planet forced him to retain the title. He has had memorable performances and strong displays of leadership. He was, as never before, the soul of the team, as well as the figure of him. He scored goals in all matches except against Poland, took five penalties (he scored four and the other was saved by Szczesny) in regular time and two in the definition (with 100% effectiveness). He also left history with the best assist of the World Cup, to Julián Álvarez, for the third goal against Croatia. He has broken all records: he is the player with the most matches (26) and the most minutes, the only Argentinian with five World Cups and the top scorer, with 13 goals. His last dance was a dream: seven goals, best player and champion. Divine justice. And we’ve run out of adjectives.

2) Match by match of Scaloni

The coach had the authority and reflexes to make name and system changes that he thought should be done based on the players’ and rivals’ moments. He got it right almost every time. After the opening shot, where the team showed a worrying image, they fielded five variants to face Mexico. And even if he found the team against Poland, with Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez as starters, he never stopped making adjustments, breaking that maxim that a winning team doesn’t touch itself. Against the Netherlands, in the quarterfinals, he surprised with a five-man defence, but with Nahuel Molina launched in attack, which materialized in the first goal, after a great assist from Messi.

In the semifinal against Croatia, he changed his system again, bringing it to a 4-4-2 with Paredes added to De Paul, Enzo and Mac Allister. In the end he surprised again and got it right. This time the 4-3-3 saw Di María on the left, for the first time in the Cup, with Messi on the right and Julián on nine. spaghetti he generated the penalty and converted the second goal. Scaloni, together with his technical staff formed by Walter Samuel, Pablo Aimar and Roberto Ayala, gave a champion of balance to manage the group and knew how to exploit the moments of each player. With his modesty, Scaloni said that “we just had to put the car on the highway and not crash it.” They have done much more.

3) A winning goalkeeper

Emiliano Martínez, I drewhe brought a self-confidence and personality that the national team hadn’t had since the days of Duck Phyllol. His dominance in the aerial game is superior to that of all his previous colleagues. He made key saves, with his left leg, in matches against Australia and France. In the two definitions on penalties he conveyed confidence to his teammates with the “calm down, they save two”. Against Holland he scored exactly, with the plus of doing it in the first two: against Virgil van Dijk and Berghuis. And in the final he rejects the second, performed by Coman, and reduces Tchouameni, who deflects the third. A real super hero.

4) The revelations: Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez

The staggered He arrived at the World Cup with a team from memory, broken by Giovani Lo Celso’s injury. Replacing him seemed to be Scaloni’s only doubt, but the tough setback in his debut left the coach with further questions. In the second match, against Mexico, Mac Allister took that vacant position in left midfield and during the match Enzo Fernández replaced Guido Rodríguez and Julián Álvarez replaced Lautaro Martínez.

There a new team began to take shape, making its debut against Poland. None of the three made the starting eleven. Enzo Fernández has been chosen as the best young player of the World Cup. His balance was remarkable, as was his passing efficiency and his ability to recover the ball. The contribution of Mac Allister was also fundamental for Enzo, because the Englishman from Brighton is a mixed midfielder, tactically intelligent, very disciplined in recovering position and very loose with the ball at his feet. He converted his own goal against Poland and provided a great assist for Di María against France.

Julian’s case was also convincing. The Manchester City forward took over from Lautaro Martínez, scored four important goals (against Poland, Australia and two against Croatia) but also provided plenty of mobility and energy to put rival defenders under pressure. Three decisive sub 25s.

5) Resilience: from debut pineapple to consecration

The premiere was a major blow, but ended up being pivotal in the team’s new take. He brought it into focus, he put it into the world version. One cannot speak of underestimation of Saudi Arabia, but of a certain excessive trust or détente. Many players who didn’t arrive in full physical condition perhaps felt they could go slow. Reality has shown that a World Cup doesn’t wait. From then on, the true spirit of this team reappeared, forced to play the finals from the second game, recovered his attitude and seemed to come to the rescue of Messi, who could not leave his last World Cup in the first round.

6) General Otamendi

In silence, Nicolás Otamendi also played his best World Cup, the third of his personal harvest, completing 14 matches in the World Cup and reaching 100 with the national team. His imperious voice in defense always made itself known, especially in the first minutes of each game, even with a kick to say “here I am”. A message for the opponents, but above all for the teammates, many of whom (19 in the squad) are making their world debut. Another winner.

7) Local on all fields

The massive presence of fans, always the majority, in every match generated positive energy back and forth with the team. Scaloni has said it several times, even the players, that the contagion has played in favor of the team. He motivated, pushed, helped to make an extra effort in moments when the legs responded less. The Selection was local in all fields of Qatar.

8) The eternal Di Maria

The man of the goals in the final once again proved his worth, at 34 and in the match which, according to what he said, was his farewell to the national team. He had good participation in some of the early games, playing on the right and partnering Messi. Then absent due to muscle soreness against Australia, came on for a few minutes against the Netherlands and restarted against Croatia. He came back in the final and playing on the left he made a dream first half: unstoppable shot for Koundé, he generated Dembelé’s penalty for the first goal and transformed the second into a perfect counterattack. A great story of Selection, also with a deserved ending.

9) The personality of the team

The recovery after the blow against Saudi Arabia put the character of the selection to the test. But there were other critical moments as well, such as when the 0-0 draw against Mexico wasn’t stopped for 60 minutes. It should be remembered that the team lived with the distinct possibility of going home in that second game. A defeat would have been the end. They also came to clash with Poland needing to win to secure qualification and avoid a premature clash with France in the round of 16. Subsequently, he had moments of anxiety with Australia and the Netherlands, who raised the 0-2 and forced extra time and penalties, the same thing that happened against Mbappé and his team. In difficult moments, the team didn’t get lost, they didn’t forget to play, to be protagonists. He showed his personality to play, as Scaloni said several times, the different matches that occur in a match. Play when you can, defend when needed.