KANSAS CITY: Argentina start their bid for back-to-back World Cups on Tuesday with a side full of familiar faces from Qatar 2022, facing an Algerian team buoyed by warm-up wins and featuring a 20-year-old rising star nicknamed after Diego Maradona.

The reigning champions are looking to defy the statistics after climbing last week to the top of FIFA’s rankings for the first time since July 2025, as no team holding that position at the start of the tournament has gone on to lift the trophy.

When they line up in Kansas City, all eyes will be on 38-year-old captain Lionel Messi, playing in a record sixth World Cup.

“I’m happy, savouring every moment and excited as ever,” he said last week.

Still, coach Lionel Scaloni has concerns after left back Nicolas Tagliafico suffered a muscle injury in their 2-0 win over Honduras on June 6, forcing centre-back Facundo Medina to fill in during last week’s 3-0 victory over Iceland.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, meanwhile, recovered from a finger fracture suffered during the warm-up for Aston Villa’s Europa League final win and is expected to be in the starting lineup.

If Tagliafico is fit, Argentina’s starting team would likely feature 11 players from the 2022 squad, with Scaloni relying on their experience as they seek to become the first side since Brazil in 1962 to win two consecutive men’s World Cups.

The background, however, includes a shock defeat by Saudi Arabia in their opening match four years ago — an upset Algeria will be eager to replicate.

With Argentina clear favourites to top Group ‘J’, a strong performance against them would be key for Algeria as they battle Austria and Jordan to reach the round of 32.

The African side boast a four-match unbeaten run that included a draw against twice world champions Uruguay and a 1-0 victory over the Net­herlands.

They recently extended coach Vladimir Petkovic’s contract until 2028. Forwards Anis Hadj Moussa and Amine Gouiri combined for four goals in their last two games, including a 4-0 thrashing of Bolivia in a friendly.

Offensive midfielder Ibrahim Maza, nicknamed “Mazadona” at his club Bayer Leverkusen, voiced confidence that his team will be able to “beat Messi”.

Argentina, who last lost in September 2025 to Ecuador and are on a seven-match winning streak, have other plans.

“Opponents will find it very hard to face Argentina, because this is a very strong, very united group,” Messi said.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2026