Argentina will be heading to Qatar hoping that they can win the World Cup for the first time since 1986.

Led by Lionel Messi in what will be his fifth tournament, the South American outfit will be one of the favourites to lift the famous trophy.

Making it to the final will be the minimum expectation — but nothing is straightforward when it comes to knockout football.

Argentina's group fixtures and UK kick-off times

Argentina vs Saudi Arabia (Tuesday, November 22, 10am)

Argentina vs Mexico (Saturday, November 26, 7pm)

Poland vs Argentina (Wednesday, November 30, 7pm)

How Argentina qualified for Qatar 2022

Argentina qualified for the tournament with ease, finishing second in South American qualifying to rivals Brazil.

Both nations were undefeated in the 17 matches they played, although a game between the two was abandoned last September due to potential breaches of coronavirus protocols by some Argentina players.

Lionel Scaloni's side scored 27 times and conceded only eight on their road to Qatar as La Albiceleste booked their spot at the World Cup for the 18th time.

How Argentina could line up

Such is the depth of Argentina's squad, there are several players that could stake a claim for a place in the starting XI.

Emiliano Martinez is the undisputed goalkeeper in the squad, with Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi settling in at centre-back and Nicolas Tagliafico and Nahuel Molina usually playing as full-backs.

Rodrigo De Paul and Leandro Paredes are set to provide some stability in the middle of the park with Alexis Mac Allister or Enzo Fernandez expected to play a more advanced role.

Messi, Angel Di Maria and Lautaro Martinez are likely to lead the line and Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez will be ready to seize his opportunity when it arrives.

Predicted XI: Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Paredes, Fernandez; Messi, Martinez, Di Maria

Star man: Lionel Messi

Messi has recaptured his best form having struggled in his first season at Paris Saint-Germain.

The Argentinian talisman has 17 goal contributions in 13 Ligue 1 matches for the French champions this season and is coming into the tournament with a point to prove.

Messi is approaching a century of goals for his country and his performance on the biggest stage will be instrumental if he is to lift the one trophy that has eluded him during his glittering career.

One to watch: Julian Alvarez

With 11 international caps to his name, Alvarez is emerging as one of the world's top talents.

The 22-year-old is beginning to have a more significant role in the Argentina squad but the competition for places has meant he has completed 90 minutes only once.

But with Messi and Di Maria likely playing their final World Cup tournaments, Alvarez represents the next generation of stars and will have a role to play in Qatar.

The boss: Lionel Scaloni

Scaloni brought success to the nation in the Copa America last year and he will be hoping to add the Jules Rimet trophy to his collection in December.

Appointed in 2018, the 44-year-old has rebuilt his Argentina squad and has experimented with a number of formations during his reign, but prefers to utilise a 4-4-2 where he can.

The former Sevilla assistant coach has implemented defensive stability but the World Cup will be his biggest test so far.

Argentina's official 26-man World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Franco Armani (River Plate), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Villarreal)

Defenders: Marcos Acuna (Sevilla), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), German Pezzella (Real Betis), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon)

Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Enzo Fernandez (Benfica), Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Guido Rodriguez (Real Betis)

Forwards: Angel Di Maria (Juventus), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Julian Alvarez (Manchester City), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atlanta United), Paulo Dybala (Roma), Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)

                                                                       All information correct as of November 15, 2022