Argentina vs. Algeria: Can Messi add another World Cup title to his resume?

Messi's team accomplishments separate him from other greats

Fair or not, championships won elevate athlete's resumes: Yogi Berra's 10 baseball World Series titles, Bill Russell's 13 basketball titles, Tom Brady's seven Super Bowl titles in American football...winners. Dan Marino (American football), Karl Malone (basketball), and Ted Williams (baseball) all had Hall of Fame careers, but their names don't carry the same reverence.

Soccer players have more opportunities to win team trophies than athletes in the major United States sports; in addition to playing for league championships, footballers can vie for club and international trophies. Topping that list? Inter Miami captain Leo Messi has a staggering 46, including the 2022 World Cup, 10 La Liga crowns, four UEFA Champions League titles, a Copa América...and, most pertinently for Inter Heron, the 2025 MLS Cup.

How does that compare to some of the players in the GOAT conversation? I'm glad you asked:

Cristiano Ronaldo (36): No World Cups. Five UEFA Champions Leagues, 10 league titles, three FIFA Club World Cups, one European Championship and two UEFA Nations League titles with Portugal.

Pelé (29): Legally Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pelé's trophies include a record three World Cups with Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970) and seven league titles -- including the 1977 NASL Soccer Bowl with the New York Cosmos -- two Copa Libertadores and two Intercontinental Cups.

Diego Maradonna (12) -- One World Cup with Argentina (1986), three league titles, one UEFA Cup.

All of these players are supremely talented, arguably more physically gifted than Messi. But soccer is among the most difficult sports in which a single player can carry a side to glory; the sheer number of team titles Messi has earned are a crucial exhibit in his case for being the GOAT.

Tonight, Messi is expected to start as La Albiceleste begins its 2022 World Cup title defense against Algeria. The mercurial midfielder left Inter Miami's match against Philadelphia with muscle soreness; May 24 and skipped La Albiceleste's pre-Cup friendly against Honduras on June 6. He entered in the second half of Argentina's friendly against Iceland three days later and scored a penalty.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said Monday that Messi, 38, "looks good."

"Everyone wants to see him out on the pitch, not just Argentinians, because of the impact he has on people," Scaloni said. "He has always been crucial for us and now he will be even more so. He looks good."

"(Messi) looks good."

Lionel Scaloni

Nicolas Otamendi, a center back who will be playing in his fourth World Cup with Messi, called the Argentine captain "a competitive animal."

"He makes you keep trying, he doesn't let you relax," Otamendi said, adding, "We enjoy every moment with him."

Messi is one of three footballers playing in his sixth World Cup, along with Portuguese rival Cristiano Ronaldo and Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. Argentina's opponent in its Group J opener, Algeria, is making just its fifth appearance at the competition, its first since 2014.

The Fennecs, or "Desert Foxes," are ranked 28th in FIFA's World Rankings; Argentina is first. Coach Vladimir Petković will deploy a squad focused on technical, possession-based football that features attacking down the wings, controlling the midfield and maintaining a compact defense. Algerian captain Riyad Mahrez, 35, a right wing who led Leicester City on an underdog run to the English Premier League title in 2016, is the Foxes most recognizable player. The club has a mix of experience and young talent and could challenge Argentina but isn't likely to advance beyond the Round of 16.

The match will be played beginning at 9 p.m. EDT tonight at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

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