Argentina World Cup Draw 2014: Group, Fixtures and Roster Predictions

Argentina were always going to be viewed as one of the top contenders heading into the 2014 World Cup. Now that the draw is complete, the Albiceleste know their path through the group stage.

In the four World Cups between 1978 and 1990, Argentina won two championships and also secured a runner-up finish. In the five tournaments since that impressive run of success, the Albiceleste haven't advanced beyond the quarterfinals.

Argentina have a great chance to end the drought of runs to the final in 2014 with the event being held in South America. Led by Lionel Messi and a strong cast of supporting players, the squad will enter the international showcase alongside Brazil, Spain and Germany as the main title threats.

Knowing that, let's take a look at all the key group information for Argentina now that the draw has been completed and make an early projection of what the team's roster will look like next summer.

Group Information

National Team	FIFA Ranking
Argentina	3
Bosnia-Herzegovina	21
Iran	45
Nigeria	36

If there's a team who lucked into an easy group, it's Argentina. There's no reason to expect any of these teams to come close to winning a match against the mighty Argentines, and la Albiceleste should have no trouble at all advancing out of their group in first place. 

Date	Start Time (Local Time)	Start Time (EST)	Opponent
June 16	8 p.m.	6 p.m.	Bosnia-Herzegovina
June 21	2 p.m.	12 p.m.	Iran
June 25	2 p.m.	12 p.m.	Nigeria

Argentina Roster Prediction

Position	Player	Club
Goalkeeper	Sergio Romero	Monaco
Goalkeeper	Mariano Andujar	Catania
Goalkeeper	Agustin Orion	Boca Juniors
Defender	Pablo Zabaleta	Manchester City
Defender	Ezequiel Garay	Benfica
Defender	Federico Fernandez	Napoli
Defender	Marcos Rojo	Sporting Lisbon
Defender	Nicolas Otamendi	Porto
Defender	Jose Maria Basanta	Monterrey
Defender	Fabricio Coloccini	Newcastle United
Defender	Hugo Campagnaro	Inter Milan
Midfielder	Javier Mascherano	Barcelona
Midfielder	Angel di Maria	Real Madrid
Midfielder	Ever Banega	Valencia
Midfielder	Lucas Biglia	Lazio
Midfielder	Fernando Gago	Boca Juniors
Midfielder	Augusto Fernandez	Celta Vigo
Midfielder	Maxi Rodriguez	Newell's Old Boys
Midfielder	Erik Lamela	Tottenham
Forward	Lionel Messi	Barcelona
Forward	Sergio Aguero	Manchester City
Forward	Gonzalo Higuain	Napoli
Forward	Ezequiel Lavezzi	Paris Saint-Germain

The most important factor for Argentina is a healthy Messi. The Barcelona superstar has endured a stretch of consistent injury woes, most recently a hamstring issue expected to keep him sidelined until around the new year. If he's not at full strength next summer, the team's chances take a serious hit.

If Messi is ready to roll, however, the Albiceleste will feature one of the most dangerous attacking groups in Brazil. The trio of Messi, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain will be a nightmare to defend for opponents, and Angel di Maria is an outstanding playmaker in the midfield.

The biggest question mark is whether manager Alejandro Sabella could opt to carry another natural striker like Rodrigo Palacio instead of eight midfielders. Augusto Fernandez and Erik Lamela can both play up front on the wing if needed, though, which means Palacio could get left out.

As for the back line, the starting four should be solidified if current form is maintained. Pablo Zabaleta and Marcos Rojo will line up on the outside with Federico Fernandez and Ezequiel Garay handling the crucial central roles.

The battle for the reserve spots will likely be a little more intense. Ultimately, experience is usually the deciding factor when a manager is making final calls, which bodes well for players like Fabricio Coloccini.

Finally, the goalkeeper situation should be pretty straightforward. Argentina hope Sergio Romero is able to find top form leading up to next summer or play in goal could become an issue, but the upside is definitely there to round out the roster.