Team Argentina at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in September 2011. PHOTO: DAILY STAR ARCHIVE

Rank: 7 World Cup appearances: 15 tournaments Best result: Champions (1978, 1986)   Top SCORERS (QUALIFYING) Lionel Messi (10) For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.   Did you know? Estudiantes, the small club from La Plata won the South American Libertadores Cup four times, thrice with Argentina's World Cup winning coach Carlos Bilardo and once with current coach Sabella.

Lionel Messi has won every major global title; bar the World Cup and Argentina are hoping he will be able to tick that last remaining box with a side considered among the favourites for the title in their biggest rival's backyard.
If the 'Fantastic Quartet' of Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria are on song, Argentina can emerge victorious in Brazil to claim a third World Cup title.
Despite boasting a wealth of riches in attack, however, Argentina are playing down their chances of overall victory and setting their sights primarily on ending a quarterfinal jinx.
Argentina have reached the last eight in three of the last four tournaments, going out to Germany in 2006 and 2010, and have not reached the semifinals since Italy 1990 when they reached the final and were beaten by the Germans.
They were handed a good draw that should see them win Group F ahead of debutants Bosnia, Iran and African champions Nigeria and advance to a last-16 meeting with the second-placed team in Group E, made up of France, Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras.
Alejandro Sabella has the tactical know-how to weather the mounting difficulties as the tournament progresses and breaking the quarterfinal barrier could see his team go all the way to the final again.

STRENGTH
Team chemistry
Balance is a key word for Sabella, who has built a harmonious squad that get on well both on and off the pitch. This might explain the absence of striker Carlos Tevez despite his Juventus form, an individualist that Sabella feels he cannot seamlessly introduce to the team.

Fantastic quartet
In Argentina's 4-3-3 formation, the front is one of the best in the world. The quartet of Aguero, Messi, Higuain and Di Maria puts almost every other strike force in world football to shame, and that's simply scratching the surface of a deep talent pool.

WEAKNESS
Injuries
A virtual reserve side suffered a solitary defeat in the qualifiers to Uruguay in October with key midfielder Fernando Gago, who dictates the pace of Argentina's game and acts as a supply line for Messi, missing that and most of their other matches through injury.
Defence
The transition from defence to midfield is a weakness along with dealing with high balls into the penalty area despite tall centre-backs in Federico Fernandez and Ezequiel Garay.

Lionel Messi: While his club and personal honour rolls are overflowing with success, an elusive World Cup medal is yet to grace his collection.

ONE TO WATCH
Lionel Messi
Some say Lionel Messi will never be able to claim a place among the sport's greats such as Alfredo Di Stefano, Pele, Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona, unless he wins the World Cup. But many others believe, at the age of 26 -- he turns 27 during the tournament on June 24 -- the four-time world player-of-the-year already has.
A lot will depend on how well he copes with the pressure and shrugs off an out-of-character, indifferent spell towards the end of the Spanish season.
An attack-minded Argentina generally play with Messi alongside close friend Aguero in attack and Barca teammate Javier Mascherano controlling play in the middle.
He spent a couple of months on the sidelines before returning in January and this could work in Argentina's favour as he may arrive fresher than other players.

Coach: Alejandro Sabella
The parallels between Alejandro Sabella and the man he hopes to emulate, 1986 World Cup-winning coach Carlos Bilardo, are enough to convince some fans that the time is ripe for Argentina's third World Cup success.
Sabella has prior World Cup experience, having gone to France 98 as Daniel Passarella's assistant and many suspect he may have been the tactical brains behind the side that reached the quarterfinals.

Squad
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Sampdoria), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Agustin Orion (Boca Juniors)
Defenders: Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Federico Fernandez (Napoli), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica), Marcos Rojo (Sporting Lisbon), Hugo Campagnaro (Inter Milan), Martin Demichelis (Manchester City), Jose Basanta (Monterrey)
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Ricardo Alvarez (Inter Milan), Augusto Fernandez (Celta Vigo), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Maxi Rodriguez (Newell's Old Boys), Enzo Perez (Benfica)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Rodrigo Palacio (Inter Milan), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Paris Saint-Germain)