Messi milestone as Argentina face Algeria; Austria meet Jordan

KATHMANDU: Defending champions Argentina kick off their World Cup title defence on Wednesday against Algeria in a Group J clash at the Kansas Stadium in Missouri.

The match is scheduled for 6:45 AM Nepal time.

Argentina national football team enter the tournament aiming to become only the third nation after Italy and Brazil to win consecutive FIFA World Cups.

Meanwhile, Algeria national football team are targeting a historic second-ever qualification for the knockout stage.

This marks Argentina’s 14th consecutive World Cup appearance. Under coach Lionel Scaloni, they topped the South American qualifiers, securing their ticket to North America in dominant fashion, including a commanding 4–1 victory over arch-rivals Brazil.

Argentina collected 38 points from 18 matches, with captain Lionel Messi finishing as the top scorer with eight goals.

Following qualification, Argentina played seven international friendlies and won all of them, scoring 21 goals and conceding just once.

However, memories of their shocking opening defeat to Saudi Arabia in the previous edition remain fresh, ensuring they do not underestimate any opponent.

Algeria, ranked 28th in the FIFA rankings, are featuring in their fifth World Cup. Their best performance came in 2014 when they reached the knockout stage for the first time.

After missing the last two editions, they return strongly this time, finishing top of their qualifying group with one of the best attacking records. Striker Mohamed Amoura has been in sensational form, scoring 10 goals in the campaign.

Under coach Vladimir Petković, Algeria have also shown strong form in pre-tournament friendlies, winning three of their last four matches, including a notable victory over the Netherlands.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi will play his 200th international match in this encounter, marking his 27th World Cup appearance. If he features, Messi will become the first player in history to appear in six different World Cup editions.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has recovered from a finger injury, while midfielder Leandro Paredes and winger Nicolás González are also expected to be available. However, left-back Nicolás Tagliafico remains doubtful due to injury.

For Algeria, defender Rami Bensebaini is likely to miss out due to a knee injury. If unavailable, either Samir Chergui or Zineddine Belaïd is expected to step in. Veteran captain Riyad Mahrez and striker Amoura remain key players to watch.

In the same group, Austria will face Jordan later in the day, with kickoff scheduled for 9:45 AM.