Keep crying: if logic had prevailed, Argentina would have had the tough path among those who qualified for the quarter-finals

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).

In this sense, Trucco emphasized: "No other team, if logic prevailed, had a more difficult path than Argentina."

The course of the competition completely altered the expected picture. Unexpected eliminations changed the path of several teams, including Argentina.

Instead of facing Uruguay, Iran, and Portugal, the Argentine team ended up facing Cape Verde, Egypt, and Switzerland, which changed the actual average ranking of their rivals.

Along the same lines, Gastón Trucco highlighted: "Argentina, which ended up facing Cape Verde, Egypt, and now Switzerland, has the opposite, it has the highest average ranking of rivals at 38.3."

In conclusion, Trucco insisted: "According to what the draw dictated, the toughest path of all was taken by Argentina, the toughest path beforehand to reach the quarter-finals was taken by Argentina." And he closed with a strong statement about the debate: "So don't say otherwise because it's a lie."