Thursday 22 March 2018 16:07, UK
From fixtures and fun facts to the key men, all you need to know about Argentina ahead of this summer's World Cup.
Manager: Jorge Sampaoli
Star man: Lionel Messi - Is this the year the Barcelona forward finally tastes international glory? After losses in the World Cup (2014) and Copa America (2015, 2016) finals, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner will hope to end his nation's 32-year wait for victory.
How they qualified: Finished third in the South American standings, with a Lionel Messi hat-trick against Ecuador on the final matchday lifting Argentina from the brink of a shock failure.
History: Two-time winners in 1978 and 1986, having featured at 16 World Cups. Three-time runners-up, having lost the final in 1930, 1990 and most recently to Germany in 2014.
Fun fact: No nation has featured in more World Cup penalty shootouts than Argentina - they have won four out of five.
Best World Cup moment: That Diego Maradona double against England in the 1986 quarter-final. A moment of sheer audacity saw the little Argentine score his infamous 'Hand of God' goal, where he punched the ball in ahead of the onrushing Peter Shilton. Just four minutes later, Maradona scored arguably the greatest ever World Cup goal. On this occasion it was a moment of sheer class, as his mazy run took him past five players before rounding Shilton and slotting it home from a narrow angle.
Player you've never heard of: Giovani Lo Celso - The 21-year-old PSG midfielder will hope to break into Argentina's starting XI at the World Cup, having made his debut last year.
Kit: Home - sky blue and white; Away - black.
Group D fixtures: Iceland (2pm, June 16, Moscow), Croatia (7pm, June 21, Nizhny Novgorod), Nigeria (7pm, June 26, St Petersburg)
