Lionel Messi believes that England are among the favourites to win the 2022 World Cup, and has remained coy about Argentina's own prospects of success in Qatar.
The 35-year-old lifted his first international trophy with La Albiceleste when they beat Brazil in the 2021 Copa America final, but he is yet to taste success on the world's biggest stage.
Messi will be competing at his fifth – and potentially last – World Cup tournament this year and he will be aiming to cement his legacy as the greatest player to have graced the beautiful game by adding his first and Argentina's third world title to his cabinet.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has been tipped by many to steer his nation to glory in Qatar, but he believes that there are three other countries who "are a little above the rest" in the running for the 2022 crown.
Speaking in an interview with South American Federation CONMEBOL, Messi said: "Whenever we talk about candidates, we always talk about the same teams. If I have to put some above others I think Brazil, France and England are a little bit above the rest.
"But the World Cup is so difficult and so complicated that anything can happen. We are very excited. We have a very nice group that is very eager, but we think about going little by little.
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"We hope to start the World Cup in the best way to face everything that comes after. The more you play and the more time you spend on the pitch, the more you get to know each other."
Argentina won their first World Cup back in 1978, before global icon Diego Maradona inspired La Albiceleste to their second world title in 1986.
Ahead of their final warm-up match against United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni insisted that there is no pressure on his side to go all the way in Qatar.
"We don't have pressure because at the end this is football, we're going to play a football World Cup," Scaloni told reporters in Abu Dhabi via Daily Sabah.
"We're conscious of what football represents for Argentina but it's a sport and that's why we have to step on the pitch and do our own thing.
"We have to come out and play the way we know how to. And then there are a lot of unknowns."
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Argentina head to Qatar as the in-form nation in world football as they boast an impressive 35-game unbeaten run, a feat just two behind the all-time record set by Italy between 2018 and 2021.
Indeed, South American rivals Brazil were the last nation to beat Argentina in July 2019, and the five-time world champions are considered the favourites to lift a record-extending sixth title in Qatar.
Current holders France head into this year's tournament off the back of a disappointing Nations League campaign between June and September, but Didier Deschamps's side remains strong contenders to retain their crown.
As for England, Gareth Southgate and co reached the World Cup semi-finals in Russia four years ago before losing on penalties in the final of Euro 2020 to Italy.
Like France, the Three Lions under-performed in the Nations League and were subsequently relegated from League A, but there is still hope that their current crop of stars can go all the way in Qatar and end their 56-year wait for a major trophy.
Oliver Thomas
