A perpetual participant, yet not always victorious
Since the creation of the World Cup in 1930, Argentina has pretty much always had a spot at the table, save for four instances. There were two withdrawals in 1938 and 1950; a refusal to participate in 1954; and surprisingly, for the first and only time so far in their history, a failure to qualify in 1970. Nonetheless, given their presence on the world stage, La Albiceleste have made it to four finals and boast a 50% winning rate, with their two titles arriving eight years apart in 1978 and in 1986.
Not surprisingly, given the quality of players that have emerged from the country, Argentina, who in 2007 was ranked as the no. 1 side in the world, is presently the leader in their region. Presently, they now rest in seventh place among all the teams recognized by FIFA as they prepare to take part in their 16th World Cup. They have also performed fairly well in their last couple of tournaments, with two consecutive quarter-finals runs in 2006 and 2010, but obviously will hope to do better in their arch-rivals Brazil's backyard.
Navigation through qualifiers en route to Brazil
Overall, Argentina's qualifying phase was successful, with their nine wins, five draws, and two losses putting them in pole position and two points ahead of second-placed Colombia. With four-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi serving as his team's captain, it was generally smooth sailing for La Selección save for a few hiccups with defeats to Ecuador and Uruguay along with a smattering of stalemates here and there. Their 35 goals scored was the most out of their group, and with 15 goals conceded, only Colombia had the stronger defensive record with 13.
Argentina are ranked among the clear favourites to win the trophy this year in Brazil
An attack that will make any defender quiver in fear
Simply put, Argentina is spoiled for riches when it comes to their offensive arsenal. In fact, so strong is their attack that despite having a fantastic debut season with Juventus, Carlos Tevez was left out of the provisional 30-man squad (although it's been reported that the player's personal issue with coach Alejandro Sabella certainly did not help his case). Led by the aforementioned Messi, the two-time World Cup winners also boast stars like Manchester City's Sergio Aguero, Napoli's Gonzalo Higuain, Real Madrid's Angel di Maria, and PSG's Ezequiel Lavezzi just to name a few.
The Barcelona ace, naturally, was his side's top goalscorer in qualifiers, with 10 strikes to his name, but one behind him was Higuain and Aguero with five. While many will be of course, gearing up to watch Messi work his magic on the field, his close friend 'Kun' is another player that both fans and neutrals alike will be tracking.
Despite suffering from injury, the soon-to-be 26 year old was instrumental in his club winning both the Premier League and the Capital One Cup and will be counted on to put in a top-notch performance as they seek their third World Cup title. Additionally, di Maria, who played a crucial role in Real Madrid's route to La Decima, will be yet another player who will be expected to do the same for his national side.
El jefe
The man tasked with selecting the best XI for the tournament--the previously noted Alejandro Sabella--first took over the national side in 2011 following their disappointing performance at that year's Copa America. A former midfielder who played both in his native Argentina and abroad, the 59-year-old promptly installed the then 24-year-old Messi as the team's skipper and will rely on the talismanic attacker to spearhead the team's offense over the course of the tournament.
Of course, in looking at their group, Sabella is not probably fretting too much, as his team will have to contend with Iran, debutants Bosnia, and 2013 African Cup of Nations winners Nigeria. Of the three, the Super Eagles and perhaps even the Balkan side could pose the biggest threat, but most bettors will be placing their faith in them finishing top of Group F.
Where to catch them in action
Want to stay on top of all Argentina's matches this summer? Visit their match page to find out times and channels for your specific country.
