Messi, Argentina begin World Cup title defence against Algeria: All to know

Who : Argentina vs Algeria What : FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J match Where : Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri, United States When : Tuesday, 8pm (01:00 GMT on Wednesday) How to follow : Keep up with all updates on Al Jazeera Sport We might be six days into World Cup 2026, but many purists feel the tournament isn’t truly under way until the defending champions, Argentina , and their iconic star Lionel Messi, take to the stage. Recommended Stories list of 4 items end of list After winning the Qatar World Cup in 2022 in one of the most dramatic games in history, Argentina begin their quest for a fourth title when they face Algeria in their opening Group J fixture at Kansas City on Tuesday night. Can ageing Argentina win back-to-back World Cup titles? Lionel Scaloni’s side are seeking to become just the third nation ever to defend a World Cup title after Italy (wins in 1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962). This has been a golden era of Argentinian football with Copa America wins either side of their Qatar 2022 success, but nobody is quite sure what we’re going to get from La Albiceleste this time around. Are key players in decline? Is the hunger still there after a period of domination? Argentina are no stranger to slow starts, having lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia en route to their third World Cup triumph four years ago. However, a group containing Algeria, Austria and Jordan should give them a good opportunity to ease into the tournament. …