Argentina 2018
Argentina at Russia 2018 lurched from crisis to crisis in one of the most chaotic campaigns in their history. Lionel Messi, carrying the weight of a nation and the pressure of what many assumed would be his last World Cup, could not find his best form. A 1-1 draw with Iceland was followed by a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Croatia Willy Caballero's error and Luka Modrić's sublime strike leaving Argentina on the brink of elimination. A dramatic 2-1 win over Nigeria, with Marcos Rojo scoring a late winner, scraped them through. In the round of 16, France's Kylian Mbappé announced himself to the world, devastating Argentina's defence in a 4-3 classic. Messi walked off the pitch in Kazan looking broken. Many believed his World Cup story was over but Qatar 2022 would write a very different ending.