Messi leads Argentina against Algeria in World Cup opener in Kansas City

Argentina’s World Cup opener against Algeria turned Kansas City into more than a host city. The match brought Lionel Messi, the reigning champions and one of the sport’s biggest commercial draws to Kansas City Stadium, where the first of nine World Cup games signaled how deeply the tournament had planted itself in the American market.

For the United States, the setting mattered as much as the scoreline. Kansas City was scheduled to stage nine matches in all, including Argentina v Algeria, Algeria v Austria on 28 June, a round-of-32 match on 4 July and a quarter-final on 12 July. That concentration of games made the city one of the central hubs of the 2026 tournament and a test case for how much demand World Cup soccer could generate outside its traditional strongholds.

Argentina arrived as the defending world champions after beating France in the 2022 final for their third title, ending a 36-year wait since 1986. FIFA framed the opener as a chance for Messi and Argentina to set the tone for a team chasing a fourth crown and trying to become the first side in years to repeat as champion.

Algeria offered a different kind of storyline. The North Africans returned to the World Cup for the first time since 2014 and were making only their fifth appearance overall. Their best run remained the 2014 tournament, when they reached the round of 16 and pushed Germany to extra time, a reminder that this was not a ceremonial opponent but a side with a real competitive history on the global stage.

The matchup was also unprecedented. FIFA listed Argentina and Algeria in a first-ever World Cup meeting, adding another layer to an opener that carried more than the usual group-stage stakes. Argentina’s expected lineup featured Emiliano Martínez, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, Nicolás Tagliafico, Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández, Thiago Almada, Messi and Julián Álvarez. Algeria’s possible XI included Yassine Zidane, Belghali, Aïssa Mandi, Ramy Bensebaini, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Houssem Aouar, Anis Maza, Riyad Mahrez, Amine Gouiri and Amoura.

Messi’s availability added another point of focus. CBS Sports reported that a recent muscle injury could limit his minutes in the opener, but even the possibility of a reduced role did little to diminish the fixture’s pull. In Kansas City, the opener showed how one match can carry the weight of a title race, a host-city showcase and a national audience watching soccer’s reach expand in real time.