The Argentine national team has a negative streak in World Cups related to the absence of Diego Maradona, as without the star, the national team has never beaten countries that became world champions. According to a survey by the Argentine News Agency, the Albiceleste team defeated teams that lifted this trophy only when 'Pelusa' was in the squad (Spain 1982, Mexico 1986, Italy 1990, and USA 1994), as neither before his arrival nor after his retirement could they achieve it. With Maradona at the 1986 World Cup, Argentina beat Uruguay 1-0 in the round of 16, England 2-1 in the quarter-finals, and then West Germany 3-2. In the 1990 Italy edition, it was a 1-0 victory over Brazil. The 'curse' weighing on the national team remains in effect to this day, and they will seek to break it in the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. In other World Cups, the team consistently lost to future champions: in 1958, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. The only exception was the victory over France in the final of the 2022 World Cup on penalties.
