After they outclassed Italy to win the Finalissima, will Argentina's name soon be on the World Cup? With Lionel Messi still magic at 34, Martinez, Dybala and Di Maria starring in a fearsome forward line and a stingy defence, they shouldn't be ruled out

By Adam Shergold for MailOnline 21:01 BST 04 Jun 2022, updated 21:47 BST 04 Jun 2022

21:01 BST 04 Jun 2022, updated 21:47 BST 04 Jun 2022 By Adam Shergold for MailOnline

• Argentina beat Italy 3-0 to win the Finalissima at Wembley on Wednesday night
• Bookmakers consider Lionel Scaloni's team only fifth favourites for World Cup
• But it's clear they don't lack for firepower with Lionel Messi offering magic touch
• Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria and Paulo Dybala all offer attacking threat
• Nicolas Otamendi adds experience to back line that was resolute in qualifying
• After Copa America win, going all the way in Qatar would crown Messi's career 
• Click here for all the latest World Cup 2022 news and updates

Glance at the latest World Cup winner odds for Qatar and Argentina are barely in the conversation.

Their great South American rivals Brazil are understandably the favourites, having breezed through qualifying, with the reigning champions France not far behind.

Then come Gareth Southgate's England, hopefully still with something more to give after last year's Euro heartbreak. A resurgent Spain are next in the bookies' estimation.

Only then do we come to Argentina and even then they're not very far ahead of Germany and Belgium in the cluster of second-tier prospects.

But after Lionel Messi and Co outclassed Italy to become the unofficial best team in the world in Wednesday night's Finalissima, maybe there should be a rethink.

Italy, of course, won't even be in Qatar having somehow conspired to lose to North Macedonia in a play-off just months after peaking perfectly last summer, so everything is relative.

But the way Messi provoked an almost orgiastic reaction from an adoring Wembley crowd with his dazzling footwork, the way Angel Di Maria ran the show and the manner in which Argentina were quickest to every ball showed how much they have to offer.

It was a masterclass from start to finish and it seemed at times when Argentina bossed possession and sliced through Italy's lumbering back line that all of the excitable sell-out crowd were wearing blue and white and waving banners of Diego Maradona.

It will suit Argentina to be considered a dark horse as they chase the dream of a third World crown in the Middle-East this winter. 

Wednesday night's impressive win equalled a national record of 32 consecutive matches unbeaten, a sequence dating back to their 2-0 defeat to Brazil in the semi-finals of the 2019 Copa America.

It makes them the form team of the international game and they're now just five shy of the all-time record that Italy themselves set last year.

While Brazil have gone through qualification undefeated, so have Argentina, though something may have to give when they finally meet again in September after CONMEBOL insisted their controversially-suspended game from September 2021 be rescheduled.

Lionel Scaloni's team also play Brazil in a friendly at the Melbourne Cricket Ground next week so they have the perfect chance to weigh the strength of the World Cup favourites.

If that unbeaten run continues through a World Cup group also containing Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland, then Argentina surely have every chance of going all the way.

Plenty of those fans brandishing Maradona banners while wearing 'Messi 10' shirts at Wembley no doubt have a belief in destiny and after the PSG star ended his wait for international honours at last year's Copa America, leading his nation to the World Cup would be seen as this messianic figure's crowning glory.

Almost 35, this will surely be Messi's final World Cup and he's one of a sprinkling of elder statesman in an Argentina squad that does have some fresh talents breaking through.

Messi's first season in Paris was undeniably underwhelming - he attributed his low 11-goal haul to the aftereffects of Covid this week - but the old magic was in evidence at Wembley.

He was named man of the match, which was a bit harsh on Di Maria, but was desperately unlucky not to get a second-half goal after creating three chances in the space of mere minutes.

Di Maria is also 34 and while the English perception of him, based on that disastrous season at Manchester United, remains a negative one, it's easily debunked.

So many times on Wednesday he sneaked up behind an Italian player to whip the ball from them, rounding off a fine performance with a trademark dinked finish for Argentina's second goal.

Lautaro Martinez, who poked home the first goal from Messi's cross, has just scored 25 goals for Inter Milan and 22-year-old Julian Alvarez, one of the country's next big hopes, has just joined Man City from River Plate.

And just to rub in the depth of their attacking strength, Scaloni introduced Paulo Dybala, who will be in enormous demand across Europe this summer after leaving Juventus, with a minute left.

He made an impact, firing home an unstoppable shot off the inside of the post deep into stoppage time to seal it.

So Argentina aren't lacking in firepower but what about the balance of the side?

In fairness, Italy did little to trouble a defence that started with Ajax's Nicolas Tagliafico on the left, a central pairing of Nicolas Otamendi and Cristian Romero, and Nahuel Molina of Udinese on the right.

Otamendi, formerly of Manchester City, is 34 now but remains a regular and trusted part of the back line. Any shortage of pace is compensated for by those around him.

Argentina conceded just eight times in 17 qualification matches, so there is a resilience there as well. Six of those games were won by a single-goal margin.

It could all add up to a recipe for success. We certainly shouldn't be counting Argentina out.