This Argentina team, honestly.
How they have reached this World Cup final is still hard to fully explain. They have not looked like one of the tournament’s two strongest sides, and no, that is not simply the view of a wounded Englishman. Well, perhaps there is a little of that in there.
Still, there is no denying it: Argentina’s path to the final has been anything but smooth.
Cape Verde pushed them to the brink before Argentina found a way through. Egypt then dragged them into a chaotic, controversy-filled thriller that demanded a remarkable comeback. Switzerland took them all the way to extra time before they edged ahead, and then came that dramatic fightback against England.
For long spells of this World Cup, Argentina have been well below their best. What they have shown, though, is grit, belief, unity and that unmistakable winning mentality. They have had moments of fortune, certainly, but elite teams have a habit of turning scraps of luck into something much bigger.
Argentina are packed with players who know how to win, and just as importantly, know how to survive. We saw that four years ago in Qatar, and we are seeing it again now. Lionel Messi supplies the inspiration, the touches of genius, the moments that bend games his way, while those around him scrap for every ball and, as they would put it, fight tooth and nail for him.
So, can Argentina win back-to-back World Cups?
If they do, they would join one of football’s most exclusive clubs, becoming only the third nation in history to achieve the feat after Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962.
