Lionel Messi has one last piece of history to conquer with Argentina as he looks to end record-breaking 96-year-old curse at 2026 World Cup

Lionel Messi and Argentina find themselves carrying both enormous expectations and a unique piece of soccer history at the 2026 World Cup. The reigning world champion arrives in North America as one of the leading contenders for the trophy. However, there is an intriguing statistic hanging over the tournament that has captured the attention of supporters across the globe.

Argentina enters the competition in outstanding form after years of consistency under coach Lionel Scaloni. The national team has already enjoyed remarkable success during the current cycle, yet a historical trend suggests that one particular achievement before a World Cup has rarely been a blessing.

La Albiceleste arrives in Kansas City, Missouri, aiming to defend the title won in Qatar four years ago. Having built a squad that combines experienced leaders with emerging talent, the South American giant is widely considered among the strongest teams in the tournament.

Recent performances have only reinforced that reputation. Victories in competitive matches and impressive results in friendlies have helped Argentina climb to the summit of international soccer, while Messi continues to inspire, approaching the final stages of his legendary career.

A convincing 3-0 friendly victory over Iceland helped Argentina secure its place at the top of the FIFA rankings ahead of the tournament. The result confirmed the country’s rise above several other elite nations and strengthened the belief that another deep World Cup run could be possible.

The curious World Cup ‘curse’

In the middle of all the optimism surrounding Argentina lies a remarkable statistic that has persisted for decades. According to FIFA’s statistics, no country has ever won the World Cup while entering the tournament ranked No. 1 in the FIFA World Ranking system.

The ranking system was introduced by FIFA in 1992, and since then, every nation that arrived at a World Cup as the world’s highest-ranked side ultimately failed to lift the trophy. That trend has survived numerous tournaments despite several dominant teams appearing capable of breaking it.

The statistic has become one of soccer’s most fascinating modern curses. While rankings are designed to reward consistency and excellence, history suggests that being the top-ranked side entering a World Cup may bring added pressure rather than a competitive advantage.

How all previous No. 1-ranked teams fell short

Several giants have attempted to overcome the trend, only to fall short when the tournament began. Brazil entered the 1998 World Cup as the top-ranked nation but lost in the final to France. Four years later, France arrived at the 2002 tournament as both defending champion and the highest-ranked side, only to suffer a shocking group-stage elimination.

Brazil once again topped the rankings before both the 2006 and 2010 editions. Despite possessing squads filled with world-class talent, the South American powerhouse failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals on both occasions.

The pattern became even more surprising in 2014 when Spain arrived in Brazil after dominating international soccer for years. The European champion was expected to challenge for another title but was eliminated in the group stage in one of the tournament’s biggest shocks.

Germany suffered a similar fate in 2018. Ranked No. 1 before the competition, the defending champion crashed out in the group phase. Brazil then inherited the unwanted burden in 2022 and was eliminated before reaching the final.

That history now places Argentina in a unique position heading into the 2026 World Cup. The national team currently occupies the No. 1 position in the FIFA rankings after overtaking rivals including Spain and France. While that status highlights Argentina’s strength, it also means Messi and his teammates are attempting something that no nation has accomplished since the ranking system was introduced.