3) Argentina
It’s all very well relying on the best player in the world, but even when your talisman is Lionel Messi it is dangerous to be underperforming as a team to the extent that Argentina are.
The former’s winning goal against Switzerland aside, Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero and Ezequiel Lavezzi have contributed virtually nothing between them, despite being built up as the perfect supporting cast for Messi’s prodigious talent.
Sabella’s team have been lucky to face four fundamentally flawed teams in succession, something which they may once again benefit from against an unconvincing Belgium side in the quarter finals – but right now it is very hard to see them beating France, or even Germany, if they do make it through.