"Opponents are still afraid of him near the penalty area." Pablo Zabaleta doesn't do empty praise, and after 46 caps alongside Lionel Messi for Argentina, he's earned the right to be taken seriously when he talks about him.
In a recent interview with Flashscore, the former Manchester City full-back named Argentina as his pick to retain the World Cup this summer — not out of nationalism, but out of cold-eyed assessment. He sees a squad that still has the world's most dangerous player in form, and a team built around him properly for the first time in Messi's career.
Why Zabaleta actually believes this
He's not dismissing the field. Zabaleta flagged Portugal as a team worth watching closely, and gave Thomas Tuchel's England genuine credit — "playing well and have strong individual talent" — which from an Argentine is practically high praise. But Argentina is where his conviction sits.
The case for Messi is straightforward: the man has scored five goals in six matches for Inter Miami already in 2026. He guided the club to their first-ever MLS Cup last December and is expected to feature in roughly ten more club games before the World Cup kicks off on June 11. He's not winding down. He's rolling.
Zabaleta watching Messi lift the trophy in Qatar was, by his own account, one of the most emotional moments he's experienced in football. "People who weren't even Argentinian were willing Argentina to win, because of what he means to the game." That sentiment shaped an entire tournament's narrative — and it'll shape this one too.
The World Cup picture from a betting angle
Argentina enter as FIFA's second-ranked team in the world. They're preparing with friendlies against Mauritania on March 27 and Zambia on March 31 after their planned Finalissima against Spain fell through. Low-stakes warmups, but Messi's next likely appearance — and the sharpness he shows in Buenos Aires — will tell you something about where his form actually sits heading into the summer.
Any market pricing Argentina outside the top two or three favourites deserves scrutiny. A defending champion, the world's best player in form, and a squad that's grown around a winning culture rather than inherited one. That's not a sentimental pick. That's a realistic one.
"I hope Argentina can hold on to that trophy," Zabaleta said. For once, hope and logic are pointing in the same direction.
