FORT LAUDERDALE — Inter Miami CF captain Leo Messi and midfielder Rodrigo De Paul will represent Argentina in the defending champions’ FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium, with kickoff set for 9 p.m. ET Tuesday.
The match marks an unprecedented sixth World Cup appearance for Messi, who holds the international records for most World Cup goals (13) and most World Cup match appearances (26). He is the only player in history to score in the World Cup group stage, round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final. Messi also holds Argentina’s all-time records for most caps (199) and most goals (117).
De Paul enters his second World Cup after playing a key role in Argentina’s 2022 title run in Qatar. The versatile midfielder has earned 87 caps and scored two goals for La Albiceleste, and was a central figure alongside Messi in Argentina’s 2021 and 2024 CONMEBOL Copa América titles and the 2022 CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions crown.
Argentina, making its 19th overall and 14th consecutive World Cup appearance, enters the tournament as the clear Group J favorite. La Albiceleste topped CONMEBOL’s qualifying table with 38 points, recording 12 wins, two draws and four losses. The nation has won the World Cup three times — in 1978, 1986 and 2022.
Algeria opens its fifth World Cup campaign and first since 2014 after finishing atop Group G in the Confederation of African Football qualifiers with 25 points on a record of eight wins, one draw and one loss. Tuesday’s fixture is only the second meeting between the two nations. Argentina claimed a 4-2 victory in a 2007 international friendly at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain — a match in which Messi scored his first brace for his country.
Fans can watch the match live in English on FOX and in Spanish on Telemundo and Peacock. Argentina’s remaining Group J fixtures will follow in the coming days as the defending champions pursue a fourth World Cup title.