Alarm bells are ringing in the Argentina camp as they sit outside the qualification places for the 2018 World Cup with seven games left to play.
A major international tournament without Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, and Sergio Aguero may be some way off - the Albiceleste are only one point off fourth and have gotten their games with Brazil out the way - but history dictates that they can take nothing for granted.
England - 1974
World Cup winners in 1966 and semi-finalists four years later, the Three Lions' greatest generation came to a dramatic close as they could only draw with Poland in a must-win qualifier at Wembley Stadium, having lost in Warsaw and been held by Wales.
France - 1994
A number of big teams failed to make the USA World Cup; England, Euro 92 winners Denmark, and a promising Czechoslovakia side all missed out. However, France were the biggest shock as they fluffed their lines dramatically with qualification seemingly in the bag. Consecutive last minute defeats at home to Israel and Bulgaria, the former's only win in the group, knocked them out.
Portugal - 1998
Luis Figo, Rui Costa, and Paulo Bento were just some of the names who couldn't take Portugal to France 98, dogged by poor away form in their qualification campaign that saw them finish third in Group 9 after a 0-0 draw with Armenia and 2-1 loss in Ukraine.
The Netherlands - 2002
Helmed by Louis Van Gaal, a squad consisting of Patrick Kluivert, Clarence Seedorf, and Ruud van Nistelrooy lost out to a plucky Republic of Ireland after scraping a 2-2 draw against the Green Army in Amsterdam before a defeat in Dublin. Four points were also dropped to group winners Portugal as they missed their first major tournament since 1986.
Uruguay - 2006
Forced into the inter-continental play-off with Australia after coming fifth in the CONMEBOL group for the 2006 tournament was initially of little worry to the South Americans. However, the Aussies overturned a first leg deficit and forced penalties, which they won 4-2 in front of an 82,000 attendance in Sydney to reach their first World Cup in 32 years.
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