Argentina’s Olympic medal hopes likely to depend on traditional team sports

Argentina Olympic medal hopes are likely to depend on traditional team sports at the upcoming Paris 2024 Games, with chances of success in men’s football, rugby sevens and field hockey.

The Albiceleste will try to revive the laurels won by its men’s football team at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, with ex-national team star Javier Mascherano at the helm of a youthful team with several well-known names.

Thiago Almada is among those in the Under-23 Argentina team for Paris 2024, which will be reinforced with two stars who played at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and Copa América 2024 tournaments, Julián Álvarez (Manchester City, England) and Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica, Portugal). Both World Champions will add crucial experience to the 18-man squad.

“I’m proud that world champions want to take part. They’re super competitive players who want to experience the Games, and have the chance to win. We have to take the best possible team for the Olympic Games,” stressed Mascherano, who has not enjoyed the best start to his coaching career and will be hoping to boost his credentials.

As expected, national football team captain Lionel Messi, who won gold in 2008, will not be travelling to Paris.

“I spoke to Mascherano and it’s a difficult time, given the fact that now there’s the Copa América and it would be two or three months in a row I would be away from [his club side] Inter Miami,” said Messi recently.

“Above all, at this age I’m not up to play in everything. It would be too much to do two tournaments running,” said the 37-year-old in explaining his decision.

The Rosario-born ace’s absence is significant, but not decisive for a team that has several players employed by top European clubs. 

Argentina will likely be a force in France, but they will be challenged by hosts France, who have their own star-dotted side going for gold.

Another sport where Argentina hopes to do well is rugby sevens – last time out, at Tokyo 2020, the Pumas won the bronze medal and this time are aiming their sights even higher. 

Marcos Moneta, who scored 29 tries on the sevens circuit this season, is the figurehead of the Argentina team. However, the side is missing another star, Rodrigo Isgró, who has been suspended for five matches by World Rugby after being sent off against France in the WorldCircuit final.

Elsewhere, the Leonas in women’s hockey – runners-up at the last Olympics and the last World Cup – have one goal: overtaking the Netherlands, the reigning world power.

Meanwhile, the Leones will be hoping to make their own impact in men’s hockey, though their chances of a medal are seen as less strong. 

The men’s volleyball team, historically a strong competitor, has managed to qualify for Paris despite a poor campaign. Having secured a place in Paris via the world rankings, the team will hope to surprise once again – at Tokyo 2020, the side finished third.

As for the rest of the athletes involved, several competitors have complained they are being hit by Argentina's ongoing economic woes. 

Amid heavy spending cuts introduced by President Javier Milei’s government, the budget for the National Sports Secretariat was frozen at its 2023 level, despite inflation of almost 280 percent over the last year. Bursaries, scholarships and funding for athletes has been slashed, as a result. 

“In a country like Argentina today, where people aren’t eating, we’re aware that there are other priorities,” said Diógenes de Urquiza, the director of the ENARD National Entity of High Sports Performance body, who assumed office in January.

At recent Olympic Games tournaments, Argentina has normally come away with at least one gold medal, though that streak ended in Japan, where the best achievement was the Leonas’ second-place finish in hockey. 

Given that two bronze medals came from volleyball and rugby sevens, and given the star-studded nature of Argentina’s men’s football team,  it seems like everything points to team sports. 

Will Milei’s spendings cuts show out in Paris? Or had the decline already kicked in beforehand? 

There’s only one way to find out – let the Games begin.