Argentina vs Algeria prediction 17.06.2026 | World Cup

Argentina won their third World Cup in Qatar and will try to add another trophy this year. In the qualifications, they were excellent with nine points more than the next team in standings, Ecuador. Since then, Argentina have had seven friendly matches and won all of them. In the previous weeks, Argentina first beat Honduras 2-0 and in the final test won 3-0 against Iceland. 

Argentina's biggest strength is their defense. All players except Messi are very active, including the starting striker, Julian Alvarez. Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Rodrigo De Paul are incredibly active and aggressive in midfield. It is worth noting that Argentina conceded only one goal in the last seven matches. 

If we have to point out some weakness, Argentina have some problems with the center-backs. Nicolas Otamendi still have a big role in the team and while he played well for Benfica, the defender is 38 years old and could have issues throughout the tournament. Also, Cristian Romero had serious injury problems playing for Tottenham last season. 

After missing tournaments in Russia and Qatar, Algeria are returning to the biggest stage. They were dominant in their qualification group, but at the Africa Cup of Nations, Algeria lost 2-0 to Nigeria in the quarterfinals. Vladimir Petkovic's team were solid recently with three wins in four friendly matches. In June, Algeria won 1-0 against the Netherlands and beat Bolivia 4-0 in the final test. 

The greatest strength of Algeria is its technical capabilities. They are excellent offensively with 12 goals in the last four matches. Riyad Mahrez is still the most important player, but Ibrahim Maza and Houssem Aouar also take a huge responsibility in creating offense. 

Algeria didn't allow any goals in the last four matches. However, they are not physically strong enough and could struggle against Argentina's midfield. Algeria's biggest strength in defense is their aggression, although Petkovic's team doesn't play high-pressing. 

One of the big questions in recent weeks was whether goalkeeper Luca Zidane would recover on time after a fractured jaw. However, he played with the mask in a friendly against the Netherlands, and we should expect him against Argentina, as well.