Argentina qualified for the 2018 World Cup having come really close to missing out entirely. Under coach Jorge Sampaoli, they scraped through the Conmebol qualifying round in third place, needing a Messi hat-trick against Ecuador in the final qualifying match to secure their spot. It was a warning sign for what was to come in Russia. Argentina had reached the 2014 World Cup final, where they lost 1-0 to Germany in extra time, and arrived in Russia with Messi as the main hope of finally winning the trophy that had eluded him throughout his international career.
Despite Messi's presence, Argentina never found their rhythm at the 2018 World Cup. The black away shirt was not worn in the group stage, where Argentina played in their home kit throughout, but the away shirt formed part of the squad's matchday preparation and was worn in warm-up fixtures. Messi wore both kits across the campaign. His four-game tournament ended with 1 goal, 2 assists, and a round of 16 exit against France, a match in which 17-year-old Kylian Mbappé scored twice. Despite the tournament ending in elimination, Messi's single goal against Nigeria and two assists in the France defeat were some of the only moments of individual brilliance Argentina produced in Russia. It remained one of the most painful World Cups in Argentine football history.
This Argentina 2018 away shirt is made by Adidas and marked a historic fact. It was the first time in the history of the AFA that Argentina wore a black away kit. The design is a modern interpretation of a 1990s Adidas concept that was developed but never released, making it a reinterpretation of a shirt that technically never existed. The base is deep black, with a sky blue and white diagonal graphic pattern on the upper sides inspired by the Argentine flag. The Adidas three stripes run in white across the shoulders. The shirt comes in size medium (M) and excellent condition. It only has a few tiny pulls on the back to the right and the name set printing outline is slightly visible. The style code for this Nike and Argentina football shirt is CD8565.
