Argentina begins its defense of the World Cup title on Tuesday in Kansas City, aiming to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win consecutive tournaments. The reigning champions, currently ranked number one by FIFA, face an Algerian side buoyed by recent victories and high confidence.
All attention remains on 38-year-old captain Lionel Messi, who is making his record sixth World Cup appearance. Despite minor injury concerns regarding left back Nicolas Tagliafico, coach Lionel Scaloni is expected to field a lineup heavily populated by veterans from the 2022 Qatar victory. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has recovered from a finger fracture and is set to start.
Algeria enters the match on a four-game unbeaten run, including wins over the Netherlands and Bolivia. The African nation has extended coach Vladimir Petkovic’s contract through 2028 and relies on offensive threats Anis Hadj Moussa and Amine Gouiri.
A key narrative involves 20-year-old Algerian midfielder Ibrahim Maza, nicknamed "Mazadona" for his style at Bayer Leverkusen. Maza has publicly expressed confidence in his team's ability to challenge Messi. However, Argentina remains formidable, riding a seven-match winning streak and boasting a unified squad determined to defy historical statistics that favor challengers over top-ranked incumbents.