Argentina vs Algeria: Messi's Last World Cup Begins in Group J

Predictions

The experts and we all lean the same way: Argentina win, but Algeria are dangerous enough to make them earn it.

• Our prediction: Argentina win 2-0.
• Opta supercomputer: Argentina are heavy favorites, around a 68% chance to win.
• CBS Sports (Martin Green): Argentina to win and keep a clean sheet.
• FOX Sports: Argentina to win, led by Messi and Julian Alvarez.

Messi's last dance

Some games are about points.

This one is about a goodbye the whole sport has been waiting for.

Argentina arrive as the world champions and the number 1 team on the planet.

But the bigger story wears the number 10.

This is Lionel Messi's 6th World Cup, and he has said it will be his last.

He turns 39 during the tournament, so every game now is a chapter you may never see again.

He lifted the trophy in 2022, and now he gets one more shot to say goodbye on the biggest stage of all.

Chasing history no one has touched since 1962

Winning a World Cup is hard.

Winning the next one straight after is something no team has managed in over 60 years.

No nation has retained the trophy since Brazil did it in 1962.

Coach Lionel Scaloni has kept most of the core that won in 2022, so this is a settled, hungry team that knows how to win big games.

Around Messi he has Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid and Rodrigo De Paul of Inter Miami, both key to that title run.

The warm-ups were a warning to the rest of the world, with 7 wins in a row including a 5-0 thrashing of Zambia, a 3-0 win over Iceland and a clean 2-0 over Honduras.

The defense looks just as sharp as the attack, which is bad news for everyone else.

Algeria are not here to watch

Algeria are ranked 43rd, but the ranking does not tell the whole story.

They are back at the World Cup after missing 2018 and 2022, and they arrived in form.

In the warm-ups they beat the Netherlands 1-0, a result that turned plenty of heads.

They also beat Bolivia 4-0, thrashed Guatemala 7-0 and held Uruguay to a 0-0 draw.

Their captain is Riyad Mahrez, a player who has won the biggest prizes in club football and can change a game in a single moment.

Around him, coach Vladimir Petkovic has Amine Gouiri of Marseille and Houssem Aouar to carry the threat forward.

Their best ever run was the round of 16 back in 2014, and this group looks like a chance to go again.

What is at stake?

Group J also has Austria and Jordan, so a winning start here puts you in early control.

The top 2 teams, plus the 8 best third-placed teams across all groups, reach the round of 32 (the knockout stage where losing means going home).

Argentina want a clean, statement win to set the tone for a title defense.

Algeria want to prove that win over the Netherlands was no fluke, and a point against the champions would do exactly that.

That is what makes a group opener like this so good, because both sides badly want a fast start.

Where and when can you watch?

The game is today, Tuesday June 16 2026, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Kickoff is 20:00 (8:00 PM) Kansas City time.

Still hunting a seat? Check our World Cup tickets guide.

Check your local World Cup broadcaster for the channel where you live.