Lionel Messi and Argentina Face Two Major Curses in 2026 World Cup
- Argentina enter the 2026 World Cup as the world's top-ranked team, a position that has never produced a World Cup winner since FIFA rankings were introduced
- Lionel Messi and the reigning champions are also chasing a feat not achieved in more than six decades
- Several previous defending champions reached the following World Cup final but failed to retain the trophy
Defending champions Argentina and captain Lionel Messi know they face a difficult challenge heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Not only will Argentina attempt to defend their crown in the largest World Cup in history, but they will also be battling against several pieces of history that have worked against reigning champions in the past.
For a football nation where superstition often carries significance, the signs are not entirely encouraging.
According to Argentine journalist Silvio Maverino of DirecTV Sports, Argentina moved to the top of the FIFA World Rankings after Spain were held to a 1-1 draw by Iraq.
France's 2-1 defeat to Côte d'Ivoire in an international friendly also helped La Albiceleste remain at the summit of the rankings.
While leading the FIFA rankings is an achievement, it also comes with an unwanted historical trend.
The FIFA Rankings Curse
Since the introduction of the FIFA World Rankings in 1992, no team entering a World Cup as the world's number-one ranked nation has gone on to win the tournament.
The 2026 World Cup will be the ninth edition played since the rankings system was introduced, and every previous team that arrived as the top-ranked nation failed to lift the trophy.
If Argentina want to avoid that fate, they would either need to drop down the rankings before the tournament begins or become the first team in more than three decades to break the trend.
The rankings system was introduced in 1992, creating a new layer of scrutiny around the world's top national teams.
Eight nations have entered World Cups as the highest-ranked side in the world, and all eight have fallen short of becoming champions.
Argentina Also Chasing Back-to-Back History
Argentina are also attempting to achieve something that has not happened in more than 60 years: successfully defending a World Cup title.
The last nation to win consecutive World Cups was Brazil, who lifted the trophy in 1958 and 1962.
Brazil later added a third title in four tournaments by winning again in 1970.
Aside from Brazil, only Italy have won back-to-back World Cups, doing so in 1934 and 1938.
Since Brazil's triumph in 1970, only Argentina, Brazil and France have managed to reach the final of the next World Cup after becoming champions.
Argentina reached the final in 1990 after winning in 1986, Brazil did so in 1998 after their 1994 triumph, and France reached the 2022 final after winning in 2018.
However, all three nations finished as runners-up while attempting to defend their titles.
That means Messi and Argentina will be carrying the weight of multiple historical trends into the 2026 tournament.
If they are to achieve something not seen since the era of Pelé, they must overcome both the FIFA rankings curse and the difficulties that have troubled defending champions for decades.
For Argentina, history may be against them—but every record is made to be broken.
Source: YEN.com.gh
