To fill the days until Atlanta United resumes play, here is a country-by-country, way-too-early alphabetical look at each team that has qualified to play in the World Cup in Russia next summer:
Argentina
FIFA rank: 4.
Coach: Jorge Sampaoli.
Previous appearances: 16 (1930, 1934, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014).
Best finish: Champions (1978, 1986).
Nickname: La Albiceleste.
Top goal-scorer during qualification: Lionel Messi (7).
Goals scored/allowed during qualification: 19/16.
Population (rank): 44.3 million (31).
GDP (rank): 628.935 (21).
Ties to Atlanta United if you want to adopt Argentina as your team: Manager Gerardo Martino (Rosario) and players Yamil Asad (San Antonio de Padua), Hector Villalba (Buenos Aires) and Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (Buenos Aires) are from Argentina.
Capital: Buenos Aires.
Cool fact: Argentina is named after the Latin word for silver (argentum).
Has Argentina ever been mentioned in the Simpsons? Yes.
Argentina in the news right now: One of its submarines is missing.
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