TANJUNGBALAI - The 2026 World Cup has once again become the ultimate four-yearly celebration for football enthusiasts around the world.

It’s not only ordinary fans who are excited about the tournament—government officials also have their favourite teams that they hope will lift the prestigious intercontinental trophy.

One such official is Rizal Hamdani, the Head of the General Affairs Division (Kabag Umum) of Tanjungbalai City.

Known familiarly as Dedek, Rizal is placing his bet on Argentina to emerge as champions in the upcoming World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by three countries.

According to him, Argentina has what it takes to retain their World Cup title and claim back-to-back victories.

“Of course, my heart is always with Indonesia. But since Indonesia failed to qualify, I’m rooting for Argentina to defend their title,” said Rizal Hamdani, Head of General Affairs for Tanjungbalai City, on Friday (5 June 2026).

He explained that with a well-balanced squad across all positions, Argentina has the strength to overcome their opponents, who also possess quality players.

“When it comes to player quality, there’s no doubt about Argentina. They have players like Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandez, both of whom have a champion’s mentality,” he added.

Rizal believes Argentina will deliver an impressive performance, as every position is filled with players possessing strong technical skills and consistent ability. This balance, he said, will be key to Argentina’s aggressive attacking style and solid defensive play.

“Their squad depth is evenly distributed, with no single player excessively dominating. That’s why I don’t think they’ll focus on the top scorer title—it will be a team effort. But the ultimate goal remains winning the championship,” he noted.

“Nevertheless, my heart still belongs to Indonesia, and I’m confident that one day our national team will make it back to the World Cup,” he concluded.