Argentina open their World Cup defence against Algeria with the focus fixed on Lionel Messi. He is one appearance away from his 200th cap for Argentina, and this opener also takes him to his 27th World Cup appearance. If he plays, it will be his sixth World Cup finals, which would make him the first man to reach that mark.
Martínez back, but Scaloni still has decisions to make
The other major update for Argentina is Emiliano Martínez. He broke a finger in the warm-up before the Europa League final on May 20, but has since been passed fit for the opener. That matters because Argentina’s first-choice goalkeeper is back in the mix at exactly the point where Lionel Scaloni still has a few calls to settle.
There are also selection questions around the back line and the shape around Cristian Romero and Lautaro Martínez, which is why this does not feel like a routine opener. Argentina still have two Group J matches after this one, against Austria and Jordan, so the result does not define the whole campaign. It does, however, set the tone for a side starting with Messi on the brink of another landmark and Martínez available again.
Algeria are not just here for the ceremony. They were among the highest-scoring sides in African qualifying, with only two teams scoring more. Mohamed Amoura’s 14 goal involvements in CAF qualifying show why they can make this uncomfortable if Argentina are loose in transition.
The last meeting between these sides was a 4-3 Argentina win in a June 2007 friendly, with Messi scoring twice. That is a small sample, but it is enough to remind Argentina that this fixture can get messy quickly. The bigger story still belongs to Messi, Martínez and the line-up questions around them, and those answers start at kickoff against Algeria.
Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →