Argentina enters the 2026 World Cup aiming to be the third team in history to successfully defend the World Cup title, following Italy and Brazil. Lionel Scaloni's squad prepared well, topping the South American qualifiers. Argentina's pre-tournament form was also strong, with a streak of seven consecutive wins, scoring 21 goals and conceding only one.

Algeria returns to the World Cup after a 12-year absence. This marks the fifth time the African representative has participated in the world's premier football tournament, and they aim to advance past the group stage, a feat achieved only once before, in 2014.

Under the guidance of coach Vladimir Petkovic, Algeria led Group G in the African qualifiers. Algeria's recent form is also impressive, winning four of their last five matches, notably a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands and a 4-0 demolition of Bolivia. Their defense has conceded only two goals in their last six matches.

This marks the second encounter between Argentina and Algeria in history. Their only previous match took place in 2007, with Argentina winning 4-3.

Vy Anh