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Argentina will kick off their World Cup defence on Tuesday, when they raise the curtain on their 2026 bid against Algeria in group J in Kansas City.
La Albiceleste will set out to retain the trophy they won in the 2022 competition this summer, having waited six days from the start of the tournament to be in action.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Argentina vs. Algeria key stats
- Argentina have won their last seven matches in all competitions.
- Argentina have kept six clean sheets and only conceded one goal in their last seven games.
- Algeria are unbeaten in their last four games – winning three and drawing one.
- The only ever H2H came in 2007 and ended in a 4-3 Argentina win.
Argentina vs. Algeria preview: Argentina to begin title defence with a win?
| Argentina | vs | Algeria |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIFA Ranking | 28 |
| Lionel Messi (199) | Most Caps | Aissa Mandi (119) |
| Lionel Messi (117) | Most Goals | Riyad Mahrez (38) |
| 1,251 | Total Caps | 768 |
| 223 | Total Goals | 120 |
| 0 | Uncapped Players | 0 |
Argentina head to Kansas City for their World Cup group opener on Tuesday aiming to make a winning start to their bid to be just the third ever nation to defend the trophy.
They triumphed for the third time in their history in 2022, and the first time since 1986, needing a penalty shootout to get past France, and La Albiceleste would qualify for the next edition in style, topping the South American group on 38 points, nine clear of second spot, having won 12 and only lost four of their eight qualifying games.
While that campaign ended in defeat to Ecuador in 2025, Lionel Scaloni's side have since built up to the tournament in United States, Mexico and Canada with seven consecutive friendly wins, conceding just once across those, most recently beating Honduras and Iceland 2-0 and 3-0 respectively in June warm-up friendlies.
They now turn their focus to this summer's tournament, having selected a squad with 17 players who starred in the triumphant 2022 competition in Qatar, including talisman Lionel Messi who will bring up 200 caps on Tuesday and has 117 international goals to his name, while Angel Di Maria is arguably the most notable absence from that squad having retired from international football in 2024.
La Albiceleste will bid to build on their recent winning streak and get up and running in the group stage with a victory in Kansas City.
That will be no easy task, though, as their opponents come into the tournament in a positive run of their own, having won three and drawn one of their four games in preparation for the World Cup, including a friendly in Kansas last time out.
Algeria are making a return to the world stage for the first time since 2014, when they reached the round of 16, having failed to earn a spot in the last two tournaments, and they also qualified in dominant fashion, winning their African first-round group to progress automatically to the group stage having won eight and lost one of their 10 matches.
An Africa Cup of Nations campaign then followed and ended in a quarter-final defeat, but Vladimir Petkovic's team have since won three and drawn one of four friendlies, most recently winning away at Netherlands and beating Bolivia 4-0 in Kansas on Thursday with Aissa Mandi and Anis Hadj Moussa on the scoresheet alongside an Amine Gouiri brace.
Now staying in Kansas for their curtain-raiser, Algeria will set their focus on making a mark on their return to World Cup football with a squad blessed with quality and experience through the likes of Mandi, Moussa, Gouiri, Nabil Bentaleb, Mohamed Amoura and star man Riyad Mahrez who has scored 38 times for his nation.
They will bid to kick off by taking a major scalp and defeat the defending champions in their opener to move within touching distance of the knockout spots, knowing the top two are guaranteed progression from the groups and eight of 12 third-placed teams will also advance.
Argentina vs. Algeria form guide & betting tips
| Argentina | vs | Algeria |
|---|---|---|
WWWWW |
Form | LWDWW |
| 14 | Goals For | 12 |
| 1 | Goals Against | 2 |
N/A |
WORLD CUP | N/A |
Whispers predicts: Argentina 2-0 Algeria
Argentina have conceded just one goal in their last seven matches, while Algeria have been similarly tight, allowing two in their last six games and keeping five clean sheets. Under 2.5 goals should be good value at 10/11 (1.91).
While Algeria certainly have the quality and international experience to test the defending champions, Argentina's recent form, particularly at the back, leads us to believe they will start with a low-scoring and hard-fought victory and clean sheet. Both Teams to Score – No is priced at 8/13 (1.62).
Enzo Fernandez comes into the World Cup on the back of a Premier League season with Chelsea in which he managed 10 goals and four assists from midfield. As one of the stars from their 2022 triumph, he should again get a prominent role in the Argentina engine room and often has the ability to pop up with an important goal. Add in the likes of Messi and Julian Alvarez ahead of him and he seems worthwhile at 7/5 (2.40) to score or assist anytime.
> Under 2.5 goals at 10/11 (1.91) | Likelihood: Probable
> Both Teams to Score – No at 8/13 (1.62) | Likelihood: Likely
> Enzo Fernandez to score or assist anytime at 7/5 (2.40) | Likelihood: Possible