Ah, the glorious preamble to another footballing carnival! As the world’s 'finest' media organisations, including our esteemed colleagues over at the Guardian, embark on their annual 'Experts’ Network' pilgrimage – a grand tour of pre-tournament speculation – our attention, naturally, turns to the reigning champions: Argentina.
According to the prevailing wisdom from the aforementioned network (and who are we to argue with such collective brilliance?), Lionel Scaloni’s formidable squad are apparently no longer content with merely being 'strong' and 'confident'. Oh no. They’re now setting their sights firmly on a genuinely audacious feat: back-to-back World Cup titles. Because, you know, winning one was just a warm-up act.
But here’s the kicker, the delicious morsel of a claim that truly tickles our cynical funny bone: this supposedly indomitable outfit is 'no longer reliant on Messi'. A brave statement, certainly. One suspects even Leo himself might raise a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at the suggestion that his presence has somehow become, well, optional. It's a bold new world indeed if a team can simply decide its greatest ever player is now merely a charming accessory rather than the pulsating heart of its every attacking endeavour.
While the Guardian’s daily previews continue to trickle out leading up to the grand kick-off on 11 June, one can only ponder the sheer weight of expectation on Scaloni's shoulders. Chasing consecutive World Cup triumphs isn't for the faint of heart, nor for teams who suddenly realise their entire tactical blueprint might have revolved around one diminutive genius. Whether this 'non-reliance' is a testament to genuine depth or simply a triumph of hope over experience, only time – and probably a few more miraculous Messi moments – will truly tell.