FIFA World Cup 2026 Countdown: Argentina has a shot at immortality
Argentina enters the 2026 FIFA World Cup as defending champions, aiming to become the first nation to successfully defend the title since 1962. The team, led by Lionel Messi, faces a challenging group stage alongside Austria, Algeria, and Jordan.
Why it matters
The World Cup is a major global cultural and economic event, and Argentina's performance is highly anticipated by football fans worldwide.
Lionel Messi-led Argentina will begin its FIFA World Cup defence against Algeria in Group J. Austria and debutant Jordan complete the group. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal is placed in Group K along with Colombia, DR Congo and Uzbekistan. Perennial underachiever England under Harry Kane finds itself in a tricky Group L also featuring Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
The article is a standard sports preview focusing on team composition and historical context.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in