Argentina v Algeria – predictions and odds – 2026 World Cup (17 June 2026)

Reigning world champions Argentina begin their title defence against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, USA. La Albiceleste arrive full of confidence following their recent matches and having shed the pressure after securing their third star at Qatar 2022. Leo Messi faces what looks set to be his final World Cup with the aim of enjoying himself and competing, but without the anxiety of previous tournaments.

In this opening match, Lionel Scaloni’s side are clear favourites to overcome an Algerian team that knows its chances of reaching the round of 16 depend on the matches against Austria and, above all, against Jordan. That is Algeria’s objective at the 2026 World Cup, whilst for the Argentine side, reaching the quarter-finals is a must. From there, they must give their all in every match and, in the event of defeat, put up a strong fight and force their opponents to be at their best.

Final score prediction

In this match, Argentina’s superiority is such that no result other than a victory for the reigning world champions is envisaged. At Qatar 2022, the Albiceleste began with an unexpected defeat to Saudi Arabia, which forced them to win their next two group stage matches with no margin for error. For this reason, Lionel Scaloni’s side are expected to remain completely focused and to start the match with the firm determination to secure their first three points at the 2026 World Cup.

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Argentina to win

1.40

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Handicap result prediction

Argentina’s status as favourites is so clear that anything other than a win for the South American side would be a massive surprise. Consequently, the handicap result market is a very interesting one. Here, we can choose by how many goals Argentina will beat Algeria. Thus, the reigning world champions winning by more than one goal is a very interesting option. Furthermore, the odds offered by LeoVegas are very attractive.

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Argentina -1.5 goals handicap

1.95

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“Build a Bet” Prediction

In this regard, when creating a bet for this match, the option of Argentina leading at half-time and at full-time is very interesting to combine with the possibility of there being at least one goal in each half. Furthermore, if we add to this the possibility of more than 2.5 goals being scored over the full 90 minutes, the odds for this custom bet are 2.70 at LeoVegas.

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Over 2.5 goals + At least 1 goal in each half

2.70

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