Argentina’s run of low-quality rivals raises questions ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup

Argentina will face the challenge this summer of defending the title they won in Qatar 2022. However, they will arrive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the midst of an extended run of matches against weaker opposition, raising questions about their current competitive edge.

This week, Argentina confirmed their opponents for the March international break, during which they will play two friendlies at Boca Juniors’ stadium in Buenos Aires. The first will be on Friday, March 27 against Mauritania, followed four days later by a match against Zambia.

The choice of opponents was not driven by a desire to face strong competition. Instead, it was tied to the need to find available teams after the cancellation of the Finalissima against Spain and the inability to schedule matches against Honduras and Guatemala, as originally planned, due to FIFA regulations.

Mauritania are currently ranked 115th in the FIFA rankings, while Zambia sit 91st. This highlights a trend that Argentina have repeated in recent years during nearly every international break.

Argentina tend to face lower-tier opponents

Considering both competitive matches and friendlies, since the 2022 World Cup final against France, Argentina have faced just one top-10 FIFA-ranked team: Brazil. They have played them twice, both in South American qualifiers, winning both matches (1-0 away and 4-1 in Buenos Aires).

During that same span, they have faced only two additional top-20 opponents: Colombia and Uruguay. The rest of their matches have come against teams ranked outside that range, in some cases significantly lower.

The trend is even more pronounced in friendlies. Between 2023 and 2026, Argentina’s list of opponents during international breaks has included Curaçao (81st in the FIFA rankings), Indonesia (122nd), El Salvador (99th), Guatemala (94th), Puerto Rico (156th), and Angola (89th). Mauritania and Zambia now join that list.

Can Argentina repeat their 2022 success?

Argentina are currently the reigning champions of every major senior competition available to them: the World Cup, Copa America, and the Finalissima. That places them among the favorites heading into the tournament in North America this summer.

However, the advancing age of some key players—such as Lionel Messi, who will turn 39 during the World Cup—along with a dip in form from others, raises doubts about their chances of repeating the feat of Qatar 2022. The lack of meaningful tests against high-quality opposition only adds to those concerns.