Argentina have started the 2026 World Cup with back-to-back wins, with Lionel Messi scoring five goals already. However, the question remains: what would happen to the world champions if their talisman was injured?
Messi is the System
Lionel Scaloni's Argentina do not have a system — Lionel Messi IS the system. The prospect of Messi getting injured is something no one, apart from Cristiano Ronaldo, would dare think about. It would send a shiver down the spine of Scaloni, the rest of the Argentina squad, and millions of football fans around the planet.
Messi has lit up this World Cup like no one else. He has rewritten the history books with two performances of pure vintage on the cusp of turning 39, proving that age remains just a number. But some of the numbers he has posted have raised questions about Argentina's claims to be genuine contenders.
Reliance on One Man
Messi has scored all five of his team's goals in the competition so far. There is an argument to suggest that as long as Messi remains fit and firing, Scaloni does not even need a supporting cast. But does Scaloni have an immediate plan should the unthinkable happen? Even Messi admits he is already running on fumes.
The responsibility to keep winning games would fall on the shoulders of Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez. Martinez started alongside Messi in the win over Austria but failed to make an impact. Alvarez, meanwhile, is dealing with the distraction of huge speculation about his club future. Would Martinez and Alvarez have the ability to help Argentina conquer the world again? It seems and feels unlikely.
Comparison with Other Powerhouses
France and Spain appear less reliant on one man. Kylian Mbappe is the figurehead of Didier Deschamps' team, while Lamine Yamal is the Spanish equivalent. But a glance at the alternative attacking options available to both nations leaves Argentina in the shade for once.
Argentina are a streetwise team with strength throughout the spine. Go a goal behind to them, and it is a major problem. But there is no escaping the fact that this same team continues to revolve around one man. It even has a name: Messidependencia.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Insight
Zlatan Ibrahimovic summed up Messi's ongoing influence best: "Messi isn't just Argentina's best player. He's Argentina's system. He's their confidence. He's their belief. He's the reason every teammate walks onto the pitch thinking the impossible is possible. Greatness is not when everything depends on you. It's when everyone becomes better because you're there."
Argentina need no reminding of what the privilege of having Messi still gives them. But it still begs the question: without said privilege, how much quality and influence is left for Argentina to go on and make a successful defence of their crown?
