Can Lionel Messi win FIFA World Cup 2018 with this Argentina side?

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Bengaluru, March 30: As the FIFA World Cup 2018 is less than 100 days from now, all the teams and their coaches are looking to find the best team combination for the quadrennial event, to be held in Russia.

It might be the last chance for several big names in the business to help their respective teams win the biggest tournament on the planet. Similarly, it will be the last chance for Lionel Messi to win an international trophy for his side.

The Argentinian star will try his level best this time to forget the defeat against Germany in the World Cup final in 2014. Argentina played two friendlies in this international break against Italy and Spain.

The defeat against Spain with a margin of 6-1 was really an alarming sign for the Argentine side. Here, we will discuss how far Argentina can go with this squad in the upcoming World Cup.

Goalkeeping:

Manchester United's Sergio Romero will mostly be handed the gloves for Spain in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Romero is in good form for Manchester United and is a consistent performer for the side when needed. Willy Caballero and Nahuel Guzman will serve as the backup options for the Spanish national football team.

Defence:

The experience of Marcos Rojo and Nicolas Otamendi in the central defence will be vital for the Argentine side in the World Cup. Federico Fazio and Ramiro Funes Mori are waiting in line to step in when called. Fabricio Bustos will play in the right-back position for them.

Gabriel Mercado is another option for Argentina in the right-back position. On his opposite flank, Nicolas Tagliafico into the left-back position in the Argentine defence. This back-four of Argentina looks not very much convincing to win the World Cup.

Midfield:

Jorge Sampaoli prefers to play with two defensive midfielders and three attacking midfielders. Javier Mascherano and Lucas Biglia will be there in defensive midfield position for Germany. Leandro Paredes, Pablo Pérez and Marcos Acuña are waiting in line to step in when called.

Angel Di Maria, Manuel Lanzini and Lionel Messi will be the three attacking midfielders in the Argentine side. Giovani Lo Celso, Ever Banega, Cristian Pavon and Diego Perotti are also there as the backup options for Jorge Sampaoli.

Forward:

The main concern of the Argentine side in this World Cup is going to be the lack of a positive striker in the attacking third. Gonzalo Higuain is really inconsistent in the attacking third for his side. Many big names like Sergio Aguero, Mauro Icardi, Paulo Dybala are available for selection on this side. Hopefully, they will be called in the squad of Argentina for the World Cup. Angel Correa and Lautaro Martinez might be another two options in the hand of Jorge Sampaoli if needed.

Jorge Sampaoli will prefer to play with a 4-2-3-1 formation in the World Cup. But the inconsistency of the big players and the lack of experience of the other players might cause some problem for them against the tougher opponents. The side is also very much dependent on Lionel Messi. If Argentina have to win the World Cup this time, they have to play as a team without depending on a single individual.