Argentina remain serious contenders to defend their World Cup title, but 1978 champion Daniel Bertoni has warned that loyalty to past heroes could damage their chances.
Lionel Scaloni's side head into the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada with Lionel Messi once again leading the squad. Argentina have also selected 16 players from the team that lifted the trophy in Qatar four years ago.
Bertoni, who scored in Argentina's 3-1 win over the Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup final, believes the defending champions have the quality to challenge again. However, he warned that reputation and past success will not be enough.
"I think Argentina is a candidate, given our record of reaching the final six times and winning three of them," Bertoni told AFP.
"But if we believe we will be champions again due to our name, and on what we have accomplished, that is a mistake.
"The thing that can really kill Argentina is the coach relying too much on the players who won them the crown four years ago."
Messi remains Argentina's most important player, but Bertoni says his physical condition could be decisive.
The Inter Miami forward, who turns 39 on June 24, was named captain despite recently asking to leave the pitch during an MLS match against Philadelphia because of a hamstring issue.
"He is still a pivotal player," Bertoni said.
"But he is close to 40 years old and you have to see how he is physically when he turns up.
"He is no longer playing at the top level club-wise and also he will miss Angel Di Maria, who after Messi, was crucial at the 2022 World Cup."
Bertoni understands the burden of defending a world title. After Argentina's 1978 triumph, he was part of the squad that failed to progress beyond the second round at the 1982 World Cup.
"It is a huge pressure," he said.
"Everything depends on the state of the squad, and the ability of the coach to bring together two realities: to impress on the players they are world champions, but that it is imperative they go out there and put up a serious defence of it.
"At the 1982 World Cup we thought because we were world champions we could win it again with Diego Maradona and other new players.
"However, it is always tough, everyone wants to win it."
Argentina's 1978 victory came under the military dictatorship of General Jorge Videla, whose regime was later condemned for widespread human rights abuses, including torture and forced disappearances.
Bertoni said the players were focused on football at the time and only fully understood the extent of what had happened years later.
"At the time we did not really know what was going on in the country," he said.
"We knew there was a military government that was detrimental to the nation, that a kind of guerrilla war was going on, but we did not know about the disappeared, we learned about that later with the passage of time."
With concerns also raised around the political backdrop to this year's tournament in the United States, Bertoni believes players will again focus on matters on the pitch.
"I think players go to a World Cup to play, and to show what they know how to do.
"We are athletes, and in that capacity we are only responsible for what we do on the pitch."
Argentina may have the pedigree, the star power and the winning experience, but Bertoni's message is clear: sentiment cannot shape Scaloni's selection if the world champions want to retain their crown.
