2026 World Cup: How did Algeria fare in their opening group match?

16.06.26 FT World Cup

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Algeria will kick off the World Cup on Wednesday, June 17, facing Argentina in their Group J opener.

The Fennecs are making their fifth World Cup appearance, following previous campaigns in 1982, 1986, 2010, and 2014.

The North African side has recorded just one win, one draw, and two defeats in their previous opening matches at the tournament.

World Cup 2026: The official and complete group stage schedule

In 1982, Algeria pulled off a historic upset by defeating West Germany 2-1, thanks to goals from Rabah Madjer and Lakhdhar Belloumi. In the following edition, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Northern Ireland.

However, they suffered defeats to Slovenia (0-1) and Belgium (1-2) in the 2010 and 2014 tournaments, respectively.

Alongside La Albiceleste, the two-time African champions will also face Jordan and Austria in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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