Messi ka 6th World Cup - record ke barabar
2006 Germany mein 18 saal ke Messi pehli baar World Cup khele the. Ab 2026 mein unka 6th tournament hai. Sirf ek aur player ne itne World Cups khele hain - Cristiano Ronaldo, jo Portugal ke saath hain. Football ki yeh do generational stars ek saath farewell kar rahe hain.
2022 Qatar ka final - France ko penalties par 4-2 se haraake Messi ne apna pehla aur Argentina ka teesra World Cup jeeta. Maradona ke baad pehli baar Argentina champion bana. Messi ke career mein woh peak moment tha.
2026 mein challenge alag hai. Defending champion repeat kar payega? Cristiano vs Messi - dono apne aakhri WC mein kaisa perform karenge?
Group J easy hai ya nahi?
Paper par Argentina ka group bahut comfortable hai. Algeria 2022 miss kar gaye the. Austria ne strong qualifying ki, lekin tournament football mein experience kam hai. Jordan ka pehla hi World Cup hai.
Realistic prediction: Argentina top of group, comfortable se Round of 32 mein jaayegi. Lekin 48-team format mein knockout games zyada hain - extra Round of 32 add hua hai. Old players ke liye yeh thakawat ka issue hoga.
Squad - 2022 winners zinda hain
Coach Lionel Scaloni ne 26-player squad pick ki. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) abhi bhi best hai, Cristian Romero (Tottenham) defense lead karenge, midfield mein Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool). Front mein Messi ke saath Lautaro Martinez (Inter) aur Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid).
2022 ka core squad almost intact hai. Ek-do naye chehre hain — Thiago Almada, Nicolas Paz — lekin yeh wohi Argentina hai jo Qatar mein jeeti.
Argentina ka complete 26-man squad →
Messi ke World Cup stats
26 World Cup matches kheli hain Messi ne - Argentina ka all-time record. 13 goals total. Pehla goal Serbia ke against 2006 mein (sirf 18 saal ki age mein), aakhri (2022 ka final, France ke against 2 goals).
Achievements:
- 2014 Brazil: final mein Germany se haare 1-0 (extra time)
- 2022 Qatar: WON (vs France, 4-2 penalties)
- Golden Ball winner: 2014 + 2022 (only player to win it twice)
- 8 Ballon d'Or winner overall - record
Messi ke matches India mein kaise dekhe?
India broadcaster Zee Entertainment hai. Argentina ke saare matches yahan milenge:
- Hindi commentary: Unite8 Sports 1 / HD
- English commentary: Unite8 Sports 2 / HD
- Streaming: ZEE5 app (mobile, smart TV, web)
Group J ka pehla match (Argentina vs Algeria, Kansas City) IST mein late night aayega. East coast venues hote toh prime time milta - Kansas City Central Time mein hai, lekin kickoff late hai.
Defending champion ki curse
History ek baat clearly batati hai - World Cup defend karna almost impossible hai. 1962 Brazil ke baad sirf Italy (2006) ne back-to-back nahi jeeta. France, Germany, Spain - sab apne defending year mein group stage mein bahar ho gaye.
Argentina ke liye risks:
- Messi ki age - 38 par 90-minute games physically demanding
- Extra Round of 32 - ek match zyada compared to past WCs
- USA, Mexico, Canada teen alag time zones mein travel
- France, Spain, Brazil sab strong squads ke saath aaye hain
Phir bhi Argentina ka core squad veteran hai, aur Scaloni proven coach hai. Quarter-final tak realistic hai - semi/final ek upset away hai.
Apni bracket banao — Messi kahan tak jaayega prediction karo →