Can Lionel Messi save Argentina at the 2018 World Cup?

Croatia tops the group with six points while the Heimir Hallgrimsson-coached Iceland have just a single point in their kitty and lie at the third spot.

Throughout Argentina’s most recent defeat, Messi certainly cut a forlorn figure – and the forward’s current body language is a stark contrast to the days when he played exhilarating worldwide soccer, with a smile on his face.

Caballero, who was at fault for the first goal in Argentina’s 3-0 defeat by Croatia, drops to the bench along with Sergio Aguero, as coach Jorge Sampaoli followed through on his pre-match promise not to stick with established names.

“We lost very badly, they really humiliated us this time”, said 22-year-old Joaquin, at a fanzone in Buenos Aires. “Argentina has to play with its heart and this is what I am trying to convey”.

“I have to deal exclusively with the reality that Argentina didn’t win against Croatia”.

Regardless of what happens, though, Messi has already said he could quit worldwide football after the tournament and Zabaleta says it’s getting “harder” for him to keep turning out for his country. “But in football there is no mercy, there is no pity”.

Even if Iceland claims its first-ever World Cup victory, Argentina could still progress on goal difference.

Against Iceland Messi had a second-half penalty saved and Argentina drew the game 1-1. It’s part of a disappointing global run in which Messi’s only medal with Argentina came 10 years ago at the Summer Olympics.

Should Iceland fail to bag three points at the Rostov Arena they will be eliminated regardless of the outcome of Nigeria’s match with Argentina.

The Balkan side shone in victories over Nigeria and Argentina to qualify for the last 16 and they will finish first if they avoid losing to Iceland. In October previous year, the Barcelona forward bagged a hat-trick against Ecuador in World Cup qualifying, not to mention the countless other goals he’s netted to save his country in World Cup qualifying. The entire nation has been following the squad, which is known at home as “Our Boys”. If La Albiceleste can manage to capture a win over Nigeria on Tuesday then Argentina will move on to the round of 16.

“I can’t remember a worse performance from us at a World Cup”, former Argentina defender Pablo Zabaleta, who started the 2014 final, said in his role as a pundit for the BBC.

“You can become isolated and it becomes hard to face adversity, but we have to do that”, Sampaoli said.