Reigning champions Argentina enters the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a single and historic mission, which is to become the first nation in more than 60 years to retain the global crown. Under the continued leadership of head coach Lionel Scaloni, La Albiceleste breezed through the CONMEBOL qualifications as the top seed, spearheading the region with 31 goals scored.
The biggest storyline surrounds the legendary Lionel Messi, who is set to make history by appearing in a record 6th and most probably his last World Cup tournament. Scaloni’s side is built around a familiar foundation that won them the trophy in Qatar.
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FIFA World Cup 2026: How much will fans have to pay to watch tournament on Unite8 and ZEE5?
The Argentinians defeated France in the 2022 finale 4-2 on penalties after the score remained locked at 3-3 after regulation and extra time. La Albiceleste had 10 shots on target throughout the match and were far more superior on the ball but Kylian Mbappe’s masterclass had turned it all around.
In fact, Didier Deschamps’ men were nearly on the verge of securing back-to-back World titles when Randal Kolo Muani broke through the Argentina defence and released a shot in front of an open net only for Emiliano Martinez to poke his left foot across and keep his side alive with a crucial save in the dying moments.
Argentina head into their title defence as one of the favorites in Group J. They have a solid squad, featuring the likes of Julian Alvarez, Rodrigo de Paul, Alexic Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez among others. They will be hoping to replicate what they did in Qatar 4 years ago.
Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2026: Squad
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Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, Geronimo Rulli and Juan Musso.
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Defenders: Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Otamendi, Nicolas Tagliafico, Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Leonardo Balerdi, Facundo Medina.
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Midfielders: Rodrigo de Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Leandro Paredes, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Thiago Almada, Nico Paz.
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Forwards: Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez, Nico Gonzalez, Valentin Barco, Giuliano Simeone, Jose Manuel Lopez, Lionel Messi.
Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2026: Schedule
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Argentina vs Algeria: Wednesday, June 17 from 6:30AM (IST) onwards
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Argentina vs Austria: Monday, June 22 from 10:30PM (IST) onwards
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Argentina vs Jordan: Sunday, June 28 from 7:30AM (IST) onwards
Where to watch Argentina’s FIFA World Cup 2026 matches?
All of Argentina’s FIFA World Cup 2026 matches will be broadcasted live on the Zee5 app/website as well as the Unite8 sports network channels on television screens.
