Messi nears 200th Argentina match as Argentina - Argelia opens 2026 World Cup
Argentina - Argelia opened with Lionel Messi on the edge of two milestones: his 200th match for Argentina and a record sixth World Cup appearance. The reigning world champion began its 2026 campaign in Kansas City on 17 June 2026 with the same weight that comes with a title defense and a fourth World Cup chase.
Messi's 200th Argentina match
Messi was set to become the first player to appear in six World Cups, a mark no one else has reached. He also entered the match one cap short of 200 for Argentina, adding another number to a career that already carries the country's third star.
The lineup made the occasion concrete. Argentina listed E. Martínez, Montiel, Lisandro, Cuti, Medina, De Paul, Mac Allister, Enzo, Messi, Almada and Lautaro, while Algeria went with Zidane, Mandi, Ait-Nouri, Benghali, Bensebaini, Chaidi, Boudaoudi, Bentaleb, Maza, Gouri and Hadj Moussa.
Kansas City and the odds
The pre-match model gave Argentina a 78.2% chance of victory. Algeria's chances were 10.9%, the same figure assigned to the draw, and that gap framed the opener as more than a routine start for the world champion.
Juan Castro wrote that Argentina arrived with its third star on the chest and the hunger for a fourth title, while Miguel Ángel García said the champion of the world began its path in Kansas City against Algeria. The preview also pointed to Brazil in 1958-1962 and Italy in 1934-1938 as the only modern teams to win back-to-back World Cups.
Zidane in the stands
Zinedine Zidane was reported to be in the stands supporting his son, who started for Algeria, a detail that added another family line to a match already loaded with milestones. For Argentina, the opener was not just about starting the tournament; it was about starting it with Messi on the brink of a record no other player has touched.
That is the pressure point for Argentina’s opening night. The team entered as reigning world champion and current champion of America, but the fixture against Algeria immediately asked whether the title holder could turn a major individual marker into a clean start toward a fourth World Cup crown.
