Messi Carries Argentina Forward: Without the No.10, the Defending Champions Would Likely Be Out

ATLANTA REPORT — Without Lionel Messi's heroic performances, where would Argentina be? The answer is likely: the entire team would have packed their bags and headed home, and the coveted trophy that so many teams dream of would have been handed over to FIFA headquarters in New York, awaiting its new owner on July 19.

However, the highest honor on the pitch remains firmly in Argentina's grasp, thanks entirely to the superstar widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time.

The debate over the "Greatest of All Time" has never ceased — Pelé, Maradona, and Cristiano Ronaldo each have their massive fan bases — but this tournament is gradually proving that Messi's dominance is unshakable.

Still have doubts? Just ask the Egypt team, or look at Cape Verde, who nearly pushed Argentina to the brink last Friday in Miami — losing 3-2 in the round of 32.

Egypt thought they were on the verge of a historic victory. Led by Mohamed Salah, Hassan's team led 2-0 with just over ten minutes left, seemingly set to knock the defending champions out.

But Messi stepped up. The 39-year-old had missed a first-half penalty and struggled for much of the match, yet at the most critical moment, he unleashed his unique energy — first setting up Cristian Romero for a goal, then equalizing five minutes later with his eighth goal of the tournament.

Though it came a bit late, Messi once again saved Argentina from the brink.

The Inter Miami striker has now scored in nine consecutive World Cup matches — setting a new record — while extending his lead as the all-time World Cup top scorer with 21 goals, two more than France's Kylian Mbappé.

Yet, despite Messi's brilliance and indispensability, what is Argentina's true strength as a team? Are they too reliant on him? Has their path to the quarterfinals been too easy? Without Messi, who else would step up to win games against tough opponents on their title defense journey?

The irony of these questions is that they mirror the same doubts raised about Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo — Messi's long-time rival at club and individual honors. Without Ronaldo, Portugal might have gone further than the round of 16; Argentina, meanwhile, totally depends on Messi because he has scored eight goals.

But it cannot be ignored that Argentina's run to this stage has indeed benefited from a favorable schedule.

Group stage opponents Austria (FIFA rank 23rd) is the highest-ranked team Argentina has faced in five matches, which include three African teams (Algeria, ranked 29th; Cape Verde, ranked 65th; Egypt, ranked 24th), Austria, and Jordan (ranked 73rd). Argentina's quarterfinal opponent Switzerland (ranked 15th) is solid, but still outside the top ten.

Thus, it might take until the semifinals (if facing fourth-ranked England) or the final (against top-ranked France, third-ranked Spain, sixth-ranked Morocco, or eighth-ranked Belgium) for Messi and Argentina to be truly tested by elite teams. This is the luck of the draw, but ultimately, Argentina and Messi must prove they can perform against top-tier opponents — only then can we truly understand their ceiling.

Messi's ability to decide matches is unquestionable, but anyone who watched his two-year stint at Paris Saint-Germain, where his career faded in the Champions League, would note that his age has started to show against the best teams and defenses. That's why Argentina needs a Plan B, because even if they wanted to, they cannot rely on Messi to save them every match.

This team has conceded five goals in three matches against Jordan, Cape Verde, and Egypt. If they continue like this, beating top teams will be no easy task.

Lautaro Martinez is a prolific scorer in Serie A for Inter, but this year he has scored only two goals in seven matches for Argentina, and both came against teams like Honduras and Jordan.

Julian Alvarez, who could leave Atletico Madrid this summer for a transfer fee exceeding £100 million, has scored just one goal in seven matches in 2026 — and that was against Zambia in March. The former Manchester City striker has been in poor form recently, with only one goal in his last 12 matches. Therefore, Argentina truly needs Messi to keep scoring.

Perhaps he can. The former Barcelona star remains one of the best ever and continues to prove he has magic in his feet. But eventually, even the greatest magician runs out of tricks. When that happens, Argentina must have other options ready.