Defending champions Argentina begin their quest to retain their crown with a tough opening fixture against African heavyweights Algeria, who will be looking to announce themselves with a bang after being away from the World Cup for a good while.
For the game, here we present our preview and prediction.
Argentina have gone from strength to strength ever since they got their hands on that elusive World Cup four years ago. They have been a force to be reckoned with in recent years and have time and again shown their class and quality in the big games. They won the Copa América in 2024 and then strolled their way through the World Cup qualifiers, sitting pretty at the top from start to finish.
Algeria, meanwhile, are back among the World Cup big boys after a 12-year absence, having last played in 2014, where they went out in the round of 16. This time around, they ensured they put their best foot forward in qualifiers and dominated their group, sealing their spot at the World Cup in comprehensive fashion. They looked to be on course for a dominating AFCON 2025 as well, going unbeaten before eventually suffering defeat to Nigeria in the quarters.
In terms of personnel, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has gone for most of the players that were part of the victorious 2022 campaign with a few new additions. Scaloni trusts continuity and togetherness, and his squad is evidence of that. However, there is a smattering of new faces, with Valentín Barco, Giuliano Simeone, and Como sensation Nico Paz expected to get game time at some stage in the tournament.
Algeria, on the other hand, have a few established stars in their ranks and will be using their proficiency and skill on the wings, with both their wingers and fullbacks expected to be high up the pitch and their system affording them the attacking freedom to cause damage down the opponent’s byline.
It is an absolute no-brainer that Argentina will once again look to Lionel Messi for inspiration. With many predicting that this will be his last international tournament, he will look to end it on the highest possible note with another World Cup under his belt.
For Algeria, Riyad Mahrez remains the undisputed star and the linchpin for his side, but he has support in the form of Amine Gouiri and Mohamed Amoura, who was the top scorer in the African qualifiers.
This is definitely going to be an interesting contest. Algeria love to play on the front foot and do have the creative players in their ranks to make life difficult for the Argentines, but the reigning champions start the game as favourites for us, though expect it to be an even-keel contest.
Score Predictions: Argentina 2–1 Algeria
Venue: Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
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