Argentina - Algeria: the history of encounters between the two nations

16.06.26 FT World Cup

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Before their new showdown at the 2026 World Cup, Argentina and Algeria have crossed paths only on rare occasions. From the spectacular 2007 clash between the senior squads to the memory of a young Diego Maradona facing Algeria at the U20 World Cup, let's revisit the history between La Albiceleste and the Fennecs.

The big moment has arrived. In the early hours of Wednesday in Kansas City, Algeria returns to the World Cup after a twelve-year absence, facing a massive challenge against reigning champions Argentina. While both nations are set to write a new chapter in their shared story, their previous meetings remain extremely rare.

See also: Argentina - Algeria: which TV channels and what time to watch the World Cup match live?

The only senior clash: a seven-goal thriller

The only meeting between the two national teams dates back to June 5, 2007, at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. This friendly match turned into a true attacking spectacle. Despite a remarkable performance, Jean-Michel Cavalli’s men narrowly lost 4-3.

Argentina scored through Carlos Tévez (2', penalty), Lionel Messi (55', penalty and 73') and Esteban Cambiasso (56'). On the Algerian side, Anthar Yahia (9'), Madjid Bougherra (42'), and Nadir Belhadj (75') found the back of the net. The Greens even stunned Argentina by leading 2-1 at halftime, before Messi netted his very first brace for La Albiceleste that night.

A previous encounter with a young Maradona at the World Cup

However, the story between these two countries isn’t limited to the senior teams. Another memorable clash took place at the 1979 U20 World Cup in Tokyo, Japan.

In the quarter-finals, the Algerian squad led by Hocine Yahi suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to Argentina. This match is especially remembered for pitting the young Fennecs against the future global football legend, Diego Maradona.

A new chapter to be written in Kansas City

As a result, this World Cup 2026 showdown means much more than just a group stage match. Algeria will have a chance to take revenge on history and achieve a landmark result against an Argentine squad that remains one of world football’s benchmarks, tonight (the night of the 16th to the 17th) at 2 a.m. Algerian time.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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