Argentina's Fixture for the 2026 World Cup Revealed

Argentina, the reigning World Cup champion, is set to begin its campaign for the 2026 United States-Mexico-Canada tournament. The competition kicks off on June 11, but the Albiceleste will make their debut five days later on June 16 at 10 p.m. Argentinian time.

Lionel Scaloni's squad, captained by Lionel Messi, will face Algeria in their opening match at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. While considered a potentially favorable matchup on paper, Argentina aims to avoid the pressure they experienced in the 2022 World Cup, where they lost their first game to Saudi Arabia despite strong pre-tournament form.

Following their encounter with Algeria, Argentina is scheduled to play Austria on Monday, June 22, at 2 p.m., and then Jordan on Saturday, June 27, at 11 p.m. Both of these latter matches will be held at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

This year's World Cup features an expanded format with 48 teams, introducing a Round of 32 in the knockout stage. Argentina's path in the elimination rounds will depend on their final group standing. If they finish first in Group J, they will face the second-place team from Group H. Conversely, if they secure second place, they will play the winner of Group H. Should they finish third and qualify as one of the best third-place teams, their opponent will be determined by a complex ranking system involving group winners from various other zones.