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Argentina head into the 2022 FIFA World Cup as one of the favorites to go all the way. Lionel Messi has been in sublime form for club and country and La Albiceleste have burgeoned into a formidable unit under the tutelage of Lionel Scaloni.
Argentina are unbeaten in their last 35 games in all competitions. They have plenty of quality players in their squad and most of them are in pretty good form heading into the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Messi has scored nine goals in his last three appearances for La Albiceleste in all competitions. However, he can't do it alone for Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. At the end of the day, football is a team sport. But the good thing for Messi is, he has a star-studded supporting crew to rely on.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five players that can help Messi and Argentina win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
#5 Lisandro Martinez
Lionel Scaloni has preferred to use the centre-back pairing of Nicolas Otamendi and Cristian Romero in the past. However, Lisandro Martinez has now made a great case for himself with his recent performances.
Since joining Manchester United in the summer from Ajax, Martinez has managed to establish himself as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League. Initially, there were doubts over how he'd fare in the English top-flight due to his diminutive stature.
However, Martinez has silenced his critics by winning the majority of his aerial duels and dispelling the myth that he is incompetent in the air. Additionally, he is a tenacious presence in the backline and loves a tackle. Martinez is also a technically gifted footballer and is capable of spraying line-breaking passes into his forwards.
Martinez is slowly starting to become a regular feature in Argentina's starting lineup. He should be able to have a massive impact for Scaloni's men at the 2022 FIFA World Cup on current form.
#4 Rodrigo De Paul
Rodrigo De Paul has not had a great season with Atletico Madrid but he has been a different beast whenever he's pulled on the Argentina shirt. He is their midfield engine and offers a great deal of efficiency in the center of the park.
De Paul excels at progressing the ball by virtue of his precise passes and is an indefatigable presence in midfield. The 28-year-old offers incredible workrate and is also very creative when it comes to playmaking.
De Paul was one of Argentina's stars as they enjoyed a triumphant run at the 2021 Copa America. He is expected to hit the same levels for them at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
#3 Lautaro Martinez
Argentina have had plenty of world-class strikers in the past. But many have struggled to deliver for the national team on a consistent basis. A crop of highly talented Argentinian forwards have recently hung up their boots and out of the mist emerged a certain Lautaro Martinez.
Martinez has proved to be a great partner for Messi up top thanks to his relentless running and creativity. The 25-year-old possesses exquisite technique and has proven to be pretty consistent at finding the back of the net.
Martinez will benefit from having Messi operating behind him in unreal playmaking form. Needless to say, the Inter Milan striker's form will be key to Argentina's chances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
#2 Emiliano Martinez
Emiliano Martinez has been an immense presence between the sticks for Argentina of late. He waited for a very long time before getting his chances at both domestic and international levels. He has come a long way since and Martinez is currently one of the most important players for Aston Villa and Argentina.
Martinez is great at marshaling his backline and is a wonderful shot-stopper as well. He played a huge role in La Albiceleste's 2021 Copa America triumph, coming up clutch especially in the semi-final shootout against Colombia and producing several saves.
Martinez is a difficult goalkeeper to beat and will prove to be an X-factor for Scaloni's side, especially in the knockout stages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
#1 Angel Di Maria
Angel Di Maria scored the winning goal for La Albiceleste against Brazil in the 2021 Copa America final. That underscores Di Maria's importance to this Argentinian side. He is a veteran of the game and brings a wealth of experience when it comes to big tournaments.
This will be Di Maria's last World Cup and due to Paulo Dybala's injury issues, he is likely to be deployed as one of the team's chief creators in the final third. The 34-year-old has a knack for upending defenses with his exquisite threaded balls in tight spaces.
Di Maria and Messi working together can spell danger to any side that comes up against them at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
