Mention the Argentina football team and the first name spoken is Lionel Messi, alongside goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez’s heroics and Lautaro Martínez’s goals. But behind Argentina’s sustained success on the world stage is a soldier whose name is hidden behind the glamour: Alexis Mac Allister. With the semi-final win he set a fine world record — statistics show he now holds the record for the longest unbeaten run in World Cup history. According to Opta Joe, the midfielder has not lost any of his 13 World Cup matches, winning 11 and drawing two — and Argentina won both those drawn matches on penalties. This unbeaten run, from the 2022 Qatar World Cup to the 2026 World Cup, continues.
Mac Allister has no equal in balancing defence and attack, and has been an integral part of coach Lionel Scaloni’s plans since Qatar. Scaloni places blind faith in him — proof being that he played all of Argentina’s last four matches from start to finish, never substituted. While the final’s eyes are on stars like Messi and Yamal, Mac Allister could be Argentina’s real trump card in controlling midfield. He believes modern football is now far more physical, and wants to combine that physical strength with intelligence to carry Argentina toward the title. His chemistry with Enzo Fernández and Rodrigo De Paul has given the team fine balance. Two goals and two assists in 13 matches may not say much, but Mac Allister has played his part in this unbeaten run from the shadows.
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