Lionel Messi and Argentina are preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they will attempt to defend the title they won in 2022. With their group now confirmed, the team managed by Lionel Scaloni now knows the definitive locations and dates for their respective group stage matches.
Argentina are the top seed in Group J, which includes Austria, Algeria, and Jordan. With the confirmation of their rivals, Argentina have now finalized the key dates and times for their itinerary.
Messi and his teammates will debut on June 16th against Algeria in Kansas City at 9:00 PM (ET). Following that kick-off, the second commitment will take place almost a week later, on June 22nd, against Austria in Dallas at 1:00 PM (ET).
Finally, Argentina will close their participation in the group stage on June 27th against Jordan, also in Dallas, at 10:00 PM (ET), searching for passage to the knockout rounds.
In which stadiums will Argentina play?
The Argentine National Team will have their World Cup debut against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, which has a capacity of 76,416 spectators. Subsequently, they will face both Austria and Jordan at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, which has a capacity for 80,000 spectators.
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Lionel Scaloni on Argentina’s World Cup group
Following the group stage draw held on Friday, December 5th, Lionel Scaloni granted an exclusive interview to the Argentine media outlet Telefé, where he discussed the group his team will have to face.
“There are no easy opponents. We have to play the matches, and we are not taking anything for granted,” Scaloni stated in a firm tone, conveying the importance of every single match.
Regarding Algeria, the manager revealed a personal connection: “I know their coach; he was my coach, and I was recently with him. He managed me at Lazio, and he is a very good coach,” he expressed, referring to Vladimir Petkovic. “They are a good national team, with great players. They have a big talent pool that supplies players to France and other national teams”.
As for the European squad, Scaloni was concise. “Austria had a good qualifying run,” he commented. Finally, he also referenced the Middle Eastern side. “Between quotes, the unknown is Jordan, but they made it for a reason. A priori, we have to give our maximum effort to advance from the round, which is what we are going to try to do,” Scaloni concluded.
