Argentina
Argentina arrive as defending champions and 2024 Copa América winners — the only side in modern football to defend a continental title alongside their global crown. Lionel Scaloni, the architect of the Qatar 2022 triumph, has barely tinkered. Lionel Messi, now in his late thirties at Inter Miami, is the talisman as long as his body holds; Lautaro Martínez (Inter), Julián Álvarez (Atlético Madrid) and Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) form the post-Messi core; Enzo Fernández (Chelsea) and Rodrigo De Paul (Atlético) supply midfield steel. La Albiceleste lift trophies because they have systems, not just stars. Group J with Algeria, Austria and Jordan is comfortable; the floor is the quarter-final, the realistic ceiling is back-to-back titles.