Held by Iceland and humiliated by Croatia, Argentina’s World Cup could already have been all but over, but Lionel Messi and the rest of Jorge Sampaoli’s troubled squad have one final shot at redemption against Nigeria on Tuesday.
Victory against the Africans, who Argentina have beaten in all four previous World Cup meetings, will secure qualification for the last 16 as long as Iceland don’t shock already-qualified Croatia.
“I get the feeling there’s a general anger at the heart of the team,” said Argentina’s legendary 1986 World Cup-winning captain Diego Maradona.
For all his heroics with Barcelona at club level, Messi is still often compared unfavourably in his homeland for his inability to recreate Maradona’s success for the national team.