Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph was the crowning moment of Lionel Messi’s career. It ended years and years of his detractors saying he could never be as good as Diego Maradona without success in world soccer’s biggest tournament, and propelled La Albiceleste back to the top of the mountain after a 36-year drought.
Understandably, Argentina are heavy favorites to start against Algeria with a win, having dominated in CONMEBOL qualifying. It won 12 of his 18 matches, drawing two and losing four, and finished nine points clear of nearest challengers Ecuador. Argentina are currently on a seven-match winning streak under Lionel Scaloni.
Algeria, ranked 28th in FIFA’s official rankings, is no pushover though, and will expect to give Argentina a good game. Riyad Mahrez remains the standout player for a country that have won three of its last four games—a stretch that includes a win over the Netherlands and a draw with Uruguay.
