Pablo Zabaleta Reveals 2026 FIFA World Cup:Pablo Zabaleta who played for Argentina now brings a new discussion about the 2026 FIFA World Cup through his open prediction of which team will win the tournament together with his evaluation of Lionel Messi and the Argentine team which holds the title.
Pablo Zabaleta Reveals 2026 FIFA World Cup
Zabaleta shared his desire for Argentina to win their second consecutive World Cup title during his recent media appearances. He named Argentina as one of the top teams but he did not declare them as the most likely team to win the tournament.
The former right-back identified Argentina and other teams including Spain England France and Brazil as dangerous opponents. He explained that people face difficulties when making World Cup winner predictions because of the tournament’s unpredictable nature.
“We don’t have the Messi of five years ago that maybe he can drop deep and get the ball, you know, on the halfway line and just run as before.
“I think if the team manage to find a way to let Messi rest off the ball, but then when they get the ball back in possession, they can find him in a good position, he still can do the rest.
“He still has that quality to win games, to score goals. At the end of the day, that’s all you need at the World Cup is to win games.”
Zabaleta stated that Argentina possesses winning qualities together with winning mentality after their 2022 victory but their upcoming 2026 competition will be more challenging because new talent emerges from both Europe and South America.
Emotional Connection to Argentina’s 2022 Triumph
The Argentine team achieved its greatest accomplishment when Zabaleta watched Messi receive the World Cup trophy. He described it as one of the most powerful moments in football because even neutral fans supported Argentina when they saw Messi’s life story and his accomplishments.
Zabaleta presented a complete assessment of Lionel Messi’s expected performance during the 2026 World Cup. Zabaleta described Messi as the player who creates “moments of magic” but he said the Argentine captain will lose some physical strength because of his upcoming age.
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What Did He Actually Say?
Zabaleta has previously expressed this belief about Messi which shows that Argentina no longer has access to the same version of Messi who used to control every aspect of a match five years ago.
“I believe so. Argentina are one of the teams I’d consider genuine contenders. Yes, (Lionel) Messi will be a few years older, but he is still capable of moments of pure magic. Opponents are still afraid of him near the penalty area… his dribbling, his vision for the killer pass, his ability to cut inside and find the far post, his free kicks. Only a player of his quality can create those moments.”
Zabaleta continues to expect positive results from Argentina despite his existing concerns about the team. He expects the team will succeed because their deep roster and recent international achievements make them one of the strongest teams in the tournament.
