This Tuesday (16), Argentina take the field to face Algeria at 10 p.m. (Brasília time) in Kansas City, in both teams’ opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
La Albiceleste and the African side are in Group J of the tournament, alongside Austria and Jordan, who face each other on Wednesday (17) at 1 a.m. (Brasília time) in Santa Clara, also in the United States.
Three-time world champions (1978, 1986 and 2022) and current leaders of the FIFA rankings, Argentina are on a seven-match unbeaten run (seven wins in friendlies).
La Albiceleste’s last defeat came on September 9, 2025, when they lost 1-0 away to Ecuador in the final round of the South American qualifiers.
+ Argentina unveil new home kit for the 2026 World Cup
With a squad made up of major names in world football, such as Enzo Fernández, De Paul, Thiago Almada and Lautaro Martínez, as well as “Brazil-based” Flaco López of Palmeiras, Argentina’s biggest star is Lionel Messi, who is heading into his “last dance” at World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022).
Will Argentina live up to their status as favorites and dominate Group J, or can the Algerians, Austrians and Jordanians pull off an upset in one of the matches?
Leave your opinion in the comments!
📋 See Argentina’s lineup
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
