Argentina had to come to show what CONMEBOL is made of. After the winless performances of Paraguay, Brazil, Ecuador, and Uruguay, the national team stood tall for the region in the 2026 World Cup with a resounding 3-0 over Algeria, entirely authored by Lionel Messi, in their debut in Group J.
As soon as the match started, the Albiceleste would come out strong and have two dangerous chances in just a few minutes: a header from Lautaro Martínez straight to the hands of goalkeeper Luca Zidane and a disallowed goal for offside by Messi. On the other hand, the African team would also shout in vain for a goal shortly after, as Farès Chaïbi was caught offside before beating Dibu Martínez.
Despite the bitterness of not being able to convert on their first chance, the Flea would rub the lamp again at the 16th minute, and this time there would be no argument to not call it. The Rosario star would receive a pass from Rodrigo De Paul in midfield and, after a bit of dribbling, would unleash a deadly left-footed shot that Zidane could not contain.
In the following minutes, the national team would continue to create plays with many touches near the opponent's goal, although they would not manage to create standout chances, while the Algerians, pressured by the score, would start to get excited with some promising arrivals, but without effectiveness.
In the second half, Lionel Scaloni would make some changes to refresh the defense and attack: Nahuel Molina for Gonzalo Montiel and later Nicolás González and Julián Álvarez for Thiago Almada and Lautaro Martínez, who would have a shot in the 53rd minute cleared by Zidane's son before leaving.
