Argentina secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Algeria in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J encounter at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. The home side took an early lead through Lautaro Martinez, who slotted home from close range after a clever pass from Lionel Messi. Algeria equalized midway through the first half via a stunning long-range strike from Riyad Mahrez. The match remained level until the 78th minute, when Paulo Dybala curled a free-kick over the wall and into the top corner to restore Argentina's lead. Algeria pushed for an equalizer but were unable to breach the Argentine defense, which held firm to secure all three points. The win puts Argentina top of Group J with six points, while Algeria remains in second place with three points.
