Argentina began their title defence at the 2026 World Cup with a victory over Algeria
The final stages of the 23rd FIFA World Cup are currently underway in the USA, Mexico and Canada. The defending champions, Argentina, have made a successful start to their title defence, securing a victory over Algeria in their opening Group J match.
The match at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City ended 3–0 in favour of Argentina.
Early in the match, the Algerian team had a chance to open the scoring, but Fares Chaibi’s goal was disallowed following a VAR review for offside.
Argentina took the lead in the 17th minute. Lionel Messi, following a pass from Rodrigo De Paul, fired a precise shot into the top corner of the net.
In the second half, the Argentines extended their lead. In the 60th minute, Messi successfully followed up after goalkeeper Luca Zidane had parried a shot from Alexis McAllister.
The Argentina captain scored his third goal in the 76th minute following a pass from Nicolás González. This goal gave Messi his first hat-trick in his World Cup career.
In the other Group J opener, Austria take on Jordan.
In the second round, Argentina will play Austria on 22 June, whilst Algeria will face Jordan on 23 June.
The 2026 World Cup is the first to feature 48 national teams. The tournament final will take place on 19 July in New York.
