Argentina vs. Algeria Prediction, Picks, Lineups for World Cup 2026

The reigning World Cup Champions are set to begin their title defense with a Group J match against Algeria on Tuesday evening. Argentina vs. Algeria is the last of three World Cup matches on Tuesday before Austria vs. Jordan at midnight ET, and it's set to take place at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. 

Argentina enters as considerable favorites to win on Tuesday, returning a 1.36x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks with a victory.

Below, we’ll break down our Argentina vs. Algeria prediction and picks for Tuesday night’s World Cup 2026 match, including the spread, total goals, and key player picks for PrizePicks.

Make your Argentina vs. Algeria prediction and World Cup picks on PrizePicks now!

{{worldcup_generic_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

Argentina vs. Algeria World Cup 2026 Prediction, Spread, Total Goals – Tuesday, June 16

How to watch Argentina vs. Algeria: FS1 (English) / Telemundo and Peacock (Spanish)

Kickoff Time: 9:00 p.m. ET

Venue: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, USA

Group: Group J

Argentina is considered the heavy favorite to top Group J ahead of matchday one. The South Americans will play Austria, World Cup debutants Jordan, and Algeria in the group stage.

Lionel Scaloni’s side is being given a 1.35x payout (via PrizePicks) to win Group J.

Argentina vs. Algeria: Favorite to Win, Spread, Total Goals – Tuesday, June 16

Argentina enters Tuesday’s game as the favorites, returning a 1.36x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.

Meanwhile, Algeria will look to arrive at the World Cup in the same form it showed pre-tournament. Tuesday’s match marks Algeria’s first World Cup game since 2014, as they failed to qualify for the last two tournaments.

Here are the full payouts for the Argentina vs. Algeria match on PrizePicks.

• Winner Payout: Argentina – 1.36x | Tie – 4.16x | Algeria – 7.14x
• Spread: Argentina -1.5 (2.12x Payout) 
• Total Goals: 2.5 (Over – 1.92x)
• Both Teams to Score: Yes 2.17x | No 1.63x

Payouts show potential returns on correct Team Picks predictions. A 2x payout returns $200 on a $100 entry. Lower multipliers reflect outcomes users are picking as more likely. Payouts are live as of writing and subject to change.

Make your Argentina vs. Algeria prediction on spread or goals on PrizePicks Team Picks — available in 35 states!

Argentina vs. Algeria Prediction on Total Goals for World Cup 2026 

Here are the key stats and trends for Argentina vs. Algeria before making your World Cup 2026 predictions on PrizePicks.

• Algeria enters the World Cup following three impressive pre-tournament friendly victories. The African side defeated Bolivia, the Netherlands, and Guatemala by a combined score of 12-0.
• Argentina has lost just three of its last 35 matches since winning the 2022 World Cup. La Albiceleste has conceded just 1 goal in its last seven friendlies, winning all seven matches leading up to the 2026 World Cup.
• Scaloni will have the country’s all-time leading scorer, Lionel Messi, available for Argentina’s opening match. Messi led Argentina with 11 G/A during CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers.
• Argentina has scored 2+ goals in six straight matches leading up to the tournament.
• Algeria topped Group G in CAF World Cup qualifiers, outscoring its opponents 24-8 in 10 matches. The Greens conceded under 1 goal in both qualifiers and AFCON.

Lock in your Argentina vs. Algeria prediction for the 2026 World Cup now!

Argentina vs. Algeria Lineups for World Cup 2026 – Tuesday, June 16

Here are the projected Argentina vs. Algeria lineups for today's World Cup match. Lineups are not official and are based on historical data.

Argentina Lineup vs. Algeria Today

Projected Formation: 4-3-3

• Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martínez
• Defense: Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Facundo Medina
• Midfield: Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández, Rodrigo De Paul
• Forwards: Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, Thiago Almada

Algeria Lineup vs. Argentina Today

Projected Formation: 4-2-3-1

• Goalkeeper: Luca Zidane
• Defense: Rayan Aït-Nouri, Ramy Bensébaïni, Aissa Mandi, Achref Abada
• Midfield: Nabil Bentaleb, Ramiz Zerrouki, Houssem Aouar
• Forwards: Mohamed Amoura, Amine Gouiri, Riyad Mahrez

Argentina vs. Algeria Picks, Player Stats for World Cup: 6/16/26

Here are the top Argentina vs. Algeria player picks to target on PrizePicks for Tuesday, June 16. Today’s World Cup 2026 picks are headlined by Lionel Messi, Enzo Fernández, and Luca Zidane.

Argentina FW Lionel Messi Pick vs. Algeria 

Lionel Messi Projections via PrizePicks: 4 Shots, 1.5 Shots on Target, 0.5 Assists (Demon)

• Messi led Argentina with 3.8 shots per game during World Cup qualifiers. The 38-year-old is averaging 6 shots per game for Inter Miami this MLS season.
• Argentina’s captain led his squad with 1.7 of his 3.8 shots per game ending up on target. He'll face an Algerian side that held its opponents to under 10 total shots per game during AFCON last year.
• Messi led the team in both goals and assists during the qualifiers. He was second in the MLS with 7 assists, including 3 in his final match, before joining Argentina for its World Cup camp.

Combine Argentina + Lionel Messi World Cup picks for bigger payouts on PrizePicks.

Argentina MF Enzo Fernández vs. Algeria 

Enzo Fernández Projections via PrizePicks: 0.5 Shots (Goblin), 0.5 Goal + Assist (Demon), 0.5 Fouls (Goblin)

• Enzo Fernández has recorded at least 1 shot in four of his last five matches for Argentina, in which he’s played at least 45 minutes. The Chelsea star averaged 2 shots per game in the EPL.
• The 2022 Young Player of the Tournament has 13 G/A for Argentina in 41 appearances. He was tied for the third-highest G/A during qualifiers with 5.
• Fernández averaged 1.5 fouls per game during qualifiers and 3 total in Argentina’s final four pre-tournament friendlies. He also averaged 1 foul per game in 36 EPL appearances.

Combine Argentina + Enzo Fernández World Cup picks for bigger payouts on PrizePicks.

Algeria GK Luca Zidane vs. Argentina 

Luca Zidane Projections via PrizePicks: 3.5 Goalie Saves, 1.5 Goals Allowed (Goblin), 29.5 Passes Attempted

• Luca Zidane played in just one of Algeria’s final two friendlies, finishing the contest with 6 saves and a clean sheet against the Netherlands. He averaged 2.8 saves per game for Granada in Liga 2 this past season. Argentina has averaged 7 shots on goal in its last seven matches.
• Algeria has conceded just 2 goals in Zidane’s last six starts combined. The African side is playing a team that has averaged 3 goals over its last seven contests.
• Zidane has had 30+ passes in four of his last five starts for both Algeria and Granada. Goalkeepers are averaging 26.2 passes attempted per game against Argentina in its last five games.

Combine Algeria + Luca Zidane World Cup picks for bigger payouts on PrizePicks.

{{worldcup_generic_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

Make Your Argentina vs. Algeria Prediction for World Cup on PrizePicks

It'd be a major surprise to many to see Argentina drop points against Algeria in their World Cup opener on Tuesday evening. Soon, the defending champions will look to claim all 3 points and set the tone for what they hope will be a deep run into the knockout rounds.

Don’t wait until lock. Make your Argentina vs. Algeria picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right on every World Cup game.

Pick World Cup players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on World Cup match winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.

Stay locked in on Playbook for daily World Cup 2026 predictions, picks, news, and analysis.