Argentina won the 2022 World Cup and entered the 2026 tournament as the defending champion.
Argentina defeated France in a dramatic final at Lusail Stadium in Qatar on December 18, 2022. The match finished 3–3 after extra time, with Argentina winning the penalty shootout 4–2. It gave Argentina its third men’s World Cup title, after victories in 1978 and 1986.
The tournament began with a major shock: Argentina lost 2–1 to Saudi Arabia in its opening group match. Lionel Messi and his teammates recovered by beating Mexico and Poland, then defeated Australia, the Netherlands, and Croatia to reach the final.
The victory was especially significant because Argentina had waited 36 years for another World Cup title. It was also Messi’s first World Cup championship and the country’s first since Diego Maradona captained the 1986 winners. France had entered the final as defending champion after winning in 2018.