10 Most disappointing football teams of 2018

#2 Argentina

Messi suffered heartbreak with Argentina at the World Cup

How a side boasting the likes of Mauro Icardi, Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria and the 'ICON' himself has repeatedly failed to win a major title is so inexplicable that perhaps someday it would be used as a thesis project for higher institutions of learning.

Having qualified for the 2018 World Cup by the whiskers, curtsey Lionel Messi's hattrick on the final day of CONMEBOL qualifiers, Los Albiceleste were not classified as one of the favourites for the tournament based on form.

However, due to the quality of players within their ranks and more pointedly the presence of Lionel Messi, Argentines worldwide fancied their chances heading into the mundial.

As it happened, the optimism proved to be a false dawn, as Argentine kicked off their World Cup campaign with a shambolic goalless draw with Iceland, before putting in a horror show as they fell 3-0 to a Luka Modric inspired Croatia.

Just as in qualification, Argentina headed into their last group game against Nigeria facing the threat of elimination and with less than five minutes to go looked set to exit the competition until a late Marcos Rojo winner sent them through.

However, there is only so far that undeserved qualifications can take you and Argentina finally met their Waterloo in France in the round-of-16 when a youthful side led by Kylian Mbappe eliminated a more experienced Argentine side to once more end hopes of a trophy for an extremely talented group of players.

Messi would get another shot at international glory at next year's Copa America in no other place than Brazil and it would be the hope of his compatriots that he can fire them to glory to banish the horrors of 2018.