The opening match of Group J sees reigning world champions Argentina begin their World Cup 2026 title defence against Algeria in Kansas City on Tuesday.
Lionel Scaloni’s side arrive in North America among the favourites to lift the trophy once again after an impressive qualifying campaign and a lengthy unbeaten run in the build-up to the tournament.
Argentina topped the CONMEBOL standings, highlighted by a memorable 4-1 win over Brazil, and have since won seven consecutive matches while conceding just once.
The South Americans are chasing a place in history, aiming to become only the third nation after Brazil and Italy to retain the World Cup.
Algeria, meanwhile, are making their first World Cup appearance since 2014 after an impressive qualification campaign. Vladimir Petkovic’s side topped their CAF qualifying group and have shown encouraging form in recent months, recording victories over the Netherlands and Bolivia while conceding only twice across their last six matches.
The Fennec Foxes possess plenty of attacking quality through Riyad Mahrez, Mohammed Amoura and Amine Gouiri, and they will view this fixture as an opportunity to prove they can compete with one of the tournament favourites.
World Cup 2026: Argentina v Algeria team news
Argentina captain Lionel Messi is expected to start after recovering from a hamstring issue, with the Inter Miami star set to become the first player to feature at six different World Cups.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been cleared to play after overcoming a finger injury, while Leandro Paredes and Nico Gonzalez are also expected to be available following recent muscular concerns.
The main absentee for Scaloni’s side is left-back Nicolas Tagliafico, who has been ruled out with a calf injury. Facundo Medina is expected to deputise on the left side of defence.
For Algeria, Ramy Bensebaini remains unavailable because of an ankle injury, meaning Samir Chergui could partner Aissa Mandi in central defence.
Amine Gouiri is fit after previous shoulder problems, while captain Riyad Mahrez and CAF qualifying top scorer Mohammed Amoura are both expected to start in attack.
