Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Lionel Messi scored all three goals. He scored in the 17th, 60th, and 76th minutes.
The game was played at Kansas City Stadium on June 16, 2026, in Group J.
The win gave Argentina three points in its first group game.
Key Takeaways
- Argentina beat Algeria 3-0.
- Lionel Messi scored all three goals.
- Messi scored in the 17th, 60th, and 76th minutes.
- The match was part of Group J at the 2026 World Cup.
- Argentina and Algeria had also met in 2007.
- Argentina won that older game 4-3.
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Argentina vs Algeria: Match Result
The Argentina vs Algeria game was one of the Group J matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Argentina won the game 3-0.
Lionel Messi was the star of the night. He scored three goals and gave Argentina a strong start to the World Cup. FIFA lists the match as a Group J game played at Kansas City Stadium.
Algeria had some good spells with the ball. But it could not score.
Argentina also kept a clean sheet.
The final result was:
Argentina 3-0 Algeria
The match was played on June 16, 2026. FIFA’s official schedule lists it on that date in Eastern Time.
Argentina vs Algeria Score and Goals
All three Argentina goals came from Messi.
| Minute | Scorer | Score |
| 17′ | Lionel Messi | Argentina 1-0 Algeria |
| 60′ | Lionel Messi | Argentina 2-0 Algeria |
| 76′ | Lionel Messi | Argentina 3-0 Algeria |
FIFA confirms all three goals in its World Cup records.
Messi’s First Goal
Messi opened the score in the 17th minute.
His goal gave Argentina an early lead. That helped the team settle into the game.
Algeria had chances to respond, but it could not find the net before half-time.
Argentina went into the break with a 1-0 lead.
Messi’s Second Goal
Messi scored again in the 60th minute.
His second goal made the score 2-0.
At that point, Argentina had a much better position in the game. Algeria now needed two goals just to draw.
Messi’s Third Goal
Messi completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute.
The third goal made it 3-0.
That was the final score.
It was also a special World Cup moment for Messi. FIFA reported that the hat-trick took him to 16 World Cup goals at that stage, level with Miroslav Klose’s previous mark.
Argentina vs Algeria Match Stats
The score may look one-sided, but the match was not about possession alone.
Algeria had slightly more of the ball. Match data shows Algeria with about 52% possession, while Argentina had about 48%.
Argentina, however, had more shots on target.
| Match Stat | Argentina | Algeria |
| Possession | 48% | 52% |
| Total shots | 10 | 7 |
| Shots on target | 6 | 0 |
| Corners | 2 | 2 |
| Final score | 3 | 0 |
The numbers show an important point. Algeria had more of the ball, but Argentina made better use of its chances. Argentina put six shots on target and scored three goals.
So, possession did not tell the whole story.
Argentina was more direct when it had chances.
Argentina vs Algeria Head-to-Head
Before the 2026 World Cup, Argentina and Algeria had met only once at senior level.
That game was in 2007.
Argentina won that match 4-3.
Then, in 2026, Argentina won again, this time by 3-0.
| Year | Competition | Result | Winner |
| 2007 | Friendly | Argentina 4-3 Algeria | Argentina |
| 2026 | FIFA World Cup | Argentina 3-0 Algeria | Argentina |
So far, Argentina has won both senior meetings between the teams.
There has been no draw between them.
There has also been no Algeria win in these two matches.
Argentina vs Algeria in 2007
The first meeting was very different from the 2026 World Cup game.
Argentina played Algeria in a friendly on June 5, 2007, at Camp Nou in Barcelona.
Argentina won 4-3.
It was a high-scoring game. Carlos Tevez scored early for Argentina. Messi then scored twice. Esteban Cambiasso also scored.
Algeria scored three times through Anthar Yahia and Nadir Belhadj.
The final score was 4-3 to Argentina.
The 2007 game is also worth noting because Messi was already playing for Argentina. He scored two goals in that match.
That means Messi has now scored five goals across the two Argentina-Algeria meetings in the records covered here.
Why the 2026 Match Was Important
The 2026 game was more than a normal friendly.
It was a FIFA World Cup Group J match.
Argentina entered the tournament as the defending world champion. A win in the first group game gave Argentina three points.
The result was also important for Messi.
He scored three times in one World Cup game. It was his first World Cup hat-trick. ESPN also reported that the three goals put Messi level with Klose on 16 World Cup goals at that time.
For Algeria, the loss meant starting the group stage without a point.
But Algeria did not stop there.
It later beat Jordan 2-1 and drew 3-3 with Austria. Those results helped Algeria move on from Group J. FIFA records show Algeria later lost 2-0 to Switzerland in the Round of 32.
Argentina also moved on from the group stage and went deep into the tournament.
What Made Messi’s Performance Special?
Messi’s three goals were the main talking point after the game.
He scored once in the first half and twice after the break.
That gave him a simple but important role in the result: every Argentina goal came from him.
FIFA also noted that the match drew a crowd of 69,045 at Kansas City Stadium. The game was the first of six World Cup matches held at the venue during the 2026 tournament.
For fans, it was a memorable way to begin Argentina’s World Cup campaign.
FAQs
Argentina vs Algeria tickets
Tickets for the Argentina vs Algeria World Cup 2026 match are no longer available as the game has already been played.
Argentina vs algeria prediction
Pre-match predictions heavily favored Argentina to win comfortably against Algeria in their Group J opener.
Argentina vs algeria live
The live match took place on June 16, 2026, with Argentina defeating Algeria 3-0 at Kansas City Stadium.
Argentina vs Algeria live score
The final live score was Argentina 3-0 Algeria, with all three goals scored by Lionel Messi.
Argentina vs algeria today
There is no Argentina vs Algeria match scheduled for today as their World Cup 2026 encounter already concluded in June.
Argentina vs Algeria World Cup 2026 full match
The full match of Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria in the 2026 World Cup is available on official FIFA platforms and select streaming services.
Argentina vs algeria 2022
Argentina and Algeria did not face each other at the 2022 World Cup; their only previous meeting was a 2007 friendly.
Argentina vs algeria highlights
Highlights of Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria feature Lionel Messi’s historic hat-trick that equalled the all-time World Cup scoring record.
Conclusion
The Argentina vs Algeria game at the 2026 World Cup ended with a 3-0 Argentina win.
Messi was the clear star. He scored all three goals and completed a World Cup hat-trick.
The game also added a second win to Argentina’s head-to-head record against Algeria. Their first meeting, in 2007, ended 4-3.
The key facts are simple:
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Hi, I’m Benjamin Dreyer. I enjoy exploring the English language and making difficult words simple to understand. At Defineexa.com, I write about word meanings, text abbreviations, acronyms, and internet slang. My goal is to give readers clear, accurate, and easy-to-read explanations that help them learn something new and use English with greater confidence every day.
