F. Chaibi
VAR · Goal Disallowed - offside
L. Messi
Goal · R. de Paul
G. Montiel
Substitution · N. Molina
L. Martinez
Substitution · J. Alvarez
T. Almada
Substitution · N. Gonzalez
L. Messi
Goal · Normal Goal
H. Boudaoui
Substitution · H. Aouar
A. Gouiri
Substitution · M. Amoura
A. Hadj Moussa
Substitution · R. Mahrez
L. Messi
Goal · N. Gonzalez
L. Messi
Substitution · N. Paz
C. Romero
Substitution · N. Otamendi
I. Maza
Substitution · A. Boulbina
N. Bentaleb
Substitution · R. Zerrouki
Argentina advance to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup and face Cabo Verde in a Round of 32 encounter where only one team can progress. The match offers Argentina a chance to build momentum as the tournament enters its most unforgiving phase. This is the kind of fixture where champions must deliver clinical finishing and control — a stepping stone toward deeper ambitions in the tournament.
Argentina have secured top spot in Group J and advanced to the knockout stages with a strong showing in their opening matches. Their path is set, though the group featured Austria and Algeria battling for the final qualifying berth. The real intrigue in this tournament centres elsewhere — on the broader battle between the tournament's emerging powerhouses as the field narrows for the knockout phase.
Argentina have made a commanding statement in the group stage, dispatching Jordan with a clinical 3-1 victory to maintain their perfect record. Lionel Messi, wearing the captain's armband, has been the tournament's standout performer—six goals in three matches and counting. As the side prepares for the knockout rounds, they carry the momentum and goal-scoring prowess of a team that looks increasingly difficult to stop.
Argentina are moving through the group stage with the kind of ruthlessness you'd expect from a team built to win tournaments. Lautaro Martínez's penalty conversion and Giovani Lo Celso's set-piece brilliance have them extending leads when it matters, showing the depth of firepower in their attacking arsenal. So far they're getting the job done, but every match is a chance to sharpen the blade before the knockout rounds arrive.
Argentina have already punched their ticket to the knockout stage with a game to spare, sitting atop Group J after a near-perfect start. Now manager Scaloni faces the pleasant dilemma of managing his ageing talisman—Messi, at 39, has been the difference-maker, breaking the World Cup all-time scoring record. The final group fixture against Jordan becomes a careful balancing act: giving the maestro one more run while preserving him for the knockout phase.
Argentina has come to Qatar 2026 in commanding form, opening the tournament with emphatic group-stage victories that have already secured them a knockout berth. Lionel Messi, now 39, has picked up where 2022 left off—breaking through into World Cup history's all-time scoring charts with a brace against Austria. The question hanging over this run isn't whether Argentina can win; it's how much further Messi will take them, and whether his personal milestones will translate into another cup for his country.
Argentina wrapped up top spot in Group J as Algeria mounted a stirring second-half comeback against World Cup newcomers Jordan in California. The African side struck twice from set pieces after a sluggish opening, with Nadhir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri converting corners to overturn an opening-half deficit. Jordan's maiden World Cup campaign ends in the group stage, but the result keeps Algeria's knockout ambitions alive and confirms the Albiceleste's passage as group winners.
Argentina opened their World Cup campaign with a commanding performance against Algeria, with Lionel Messi among the scorers in Kansas City. The defending champions now face Austria in their second Group J fixture, looking to build on an already strong start. Messi and company are in their rhythm early, and the question becomes whether they can maintain this intensity and precision as the tournament deepens.
Argentina cruised past Algeria with a commanding 3-0 victory, showcasing the kind of ruthless performance that won them the last World Cup. Lionel Messi was the dominant force, a reminder that in this team's ecosystem, he remains the irreplaceable engine — talisman, playmaker, and the gravitational centre around which everything orbits. With his move to American football evidently sharpening rather than dulling his edge, Argentina look primed to mount a genuine bid for consecutive titles.
Why it matters
Ours are out — Argentina have a job to do in Group J.
Lionel Messi
Argentina
Still the gravitational centre of this side, the man around whom every Argentine hope orbits.
Riyad Mahrez
Algeria
The creative heartbeat whose magic could decide whether Algeria's promise turns into something real.
Argentina are into the last 32. Job done in the group, and now the tournament really begins — one-and-done from here, every match a final.
Algeria have squeezed through as one of the best third-placed sides. Not the comfortable route — but a place in the last 32 is a place in the last 32, and the knockouts don't care how you got there.
And there it ends. Argentina fall to Spain, and a summer of following them is over. It stings now — but what a ride it was, and there's no shame in going out swinging.
And there it ends. Argentina fall to Spain 1–0 in the final, and a summer of following them is over. It stings now — but what a ride it was, and there's no shame in going out swinging.
Teams out: Argentina 4-4-2 · Algeria 4-3-3. Full lineups on the pitch in the Lineups tab.
