Will he end the curse? Messi steps up, scores and 🇦🇷 stay No 1

Will he end the curse? Messi steps up, scores and 🇦🇷 stay No 1 The current world champion will have the mission of defending its 2022 title starting on the 16th, when it faces Algeria in Kansas City.  But to succeed at this year’s FIFA World Cup, Argentina will need to defy the FIFA Ranking “curse.” This Tuesday’s (9th) 3-0 win over Iceland confirmed that the Albiceleste will begin the World Cup at the top of that ranking. Which is not a good omen. NEVER has the team that started the World Cup as No. 1 in the organization’s ranking — which has existed since 1994 — gone on to lift football’s most famous trophy. Special mention goes to Brazil’s four “attempts.” Check out the history below: 1994 - 🇩🇪 Germany top - 🇧🇷 Brazil champion 1998 - 🇧🇷 Brazil top - 🇫🇷 France champion 2002 - 🇫🇷 France top - 🇧🇷 Brazil champion 2006 - 🇧🇷 Brazil top - 🇮🇹 Italy champion 2010 - 🇧🇷 Brazil top - 🇪🇸 Spain champion 2014 - 🇪🇸 Spain top - 🇩🇪 Germany champion 2018 - 🇩🇪 Germany top - 🇫🇷 France champion 2022 - 🇧🇷 Brazil top - 🇦🇷 Argentina champion  France (2002), Spain (2014) and Germany (2018) were the biggest disappointments, as they were eliminated in the group stage. Absent from the 1990 and 1994 editions and knocked out without a win at Euro ’92, France was only 18th in the rankings when it won its first World Cup.  Italy, meanwhile, was in 13th place when it surprised everyone in 2006. 📊 How important is the Ranking? The top two teams in each of the 12 groups will advance to the pre-round of 16 along with the eight best third-placed teams. And FIFA Ranking position is among the tiebreak criteria used to define those eight teams. The order announced by FIFA is:  1) head-to-head; 2) better goal difference, 3) more goals scored; 4) fewer red and yellow cards; 5) better FIFA ranking position. Scaloni rested players and ran tests Unable to count on Dibu Martínez — recovering from a fracture in his hand — and with the specialist full-backs far from ideal form, Scaloni went with Giay at RB and Medina at LB. The Palmeiras full-back is on the 55-man list and had already faced Honduras. He is hoping to take the spot of the already cut Balerdi or even one of the full-backs. Several starters were rested. That guaranteed, for example, Flaco López a place in the starting 11. Argentina started with: Rulli; Giay, Otamendi, Lisandro Martínez and Medina; Exequiel Palacios and Barco; Nico Paz, Lo Celso, Giovanni Simeone and Flaco. And it went into halftime ahead thanks to Barcos, who pounced on a loose ball and beat Olafsson (8'). Romero, Lautaro Martínez, De Paul, Mac Allister and Enzo Fernández were the first called upon at the start of the second half.  Argentina almost extended the lead after a passing move that ended with Lautaro hitting the post. He came off the bench to DECIDE 🔥 Then came Messi, brought on in the 70th minute. Right after his first touch, he set Lautaro up perfectly, but the Inter Milan striker wasted the chance before winning a penalty. Messi then made it his 117th goal in 199 matches for Argentina in the 72nd minute. The No. 10 delivered again in the 87th minute in a move that ended with Almada scoring.  In just over 20 minutes, he showed that he has recovered well from the muscle fatigue.  Argentina will make its debut next Tuesday (16th), when it faces Algeria. Austria and Jordan complete Group J. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.