The qualification of the Argentine National Team to the quarter-finals reopened the debate about the level of its rivals. However, an analysis based on the FIFA ranking prior to the start of the tournament argues that the Argentine team had, since the draw, the most challenging path among the main national teams.
The analysis starts from a hypothetical scenario: that all the teams better positioned in the world ranking advanced. Under that logic, Argentina would have faced Uruguay in the round of 16, Iran in the round of 16, and Portugal in the quarter-finals, forming the highest average ranking of rivals among the main candidates.
As Gastón Trucco explained, "Argentina beforehand, if we consider the draw, Argentina had the toughest path of all the teams to reach the quarter-finals."
The comparison included the eight teams that, according to the FIFA ranking, were supposed to reach that stage. In that scenario, Argentina recorded an average rival ranking of 26, above Portugal (27.1), France (27.6), Morocco (27.8), Brazil and England (28.1), Spain (31.6), and Belgium (33.8).
