Algeria endured a disappointing start to its 2026 World Cup campaign after a 3-0 defeat to Argentina, while fellow African nations DR Congo and Ghana produced encouraging results during the latest round of matches. The loss ranks among the heaviest World Cup defeats in Algeria’s history and highlighted concerns over the team’s attacking performance.
The Greens struggled against an Argentina side led by Lionel Messi, failing to register a single shot on target throughout the match. The result equals Algeria’s 0-3 defeat against Spain at the 1986 World Cup and represents the country’s second-heaviest loss across five appearances at football’s biggest tournament.
The defeat was particularly disappointing given Algeria’s positive World Cup legacy in recent decades. The Fennecs reached the knockout stage for the first time in their history at the 2014 tournament before being narrowly eliminated by eventual champions Germany. Against Argentina, however, Vladimir Petković’s side struggled to create chances and offered little attacking threat.
Algeria’s offensive difficulties stood out when compared with other underdogs in the competition. Haiti managed to keep its match against Scotland to a narrow 1-0 defeat, Cape Verde earned a goalless draw against Spain, and Curaçao even found the net despite losing heavily to Germany. Algeria, by contrast, failed to test the Argentine goalkeeper throughout the contest.
The national team will now turn its attention to a crucial group-stage encounter against Jordan on June 23. Jordan also began its campaign with a defeat, losing 3-1 to Austria, making the upcoming match vital for both sides’ hopes of reaching the second round.
While Algeria struggled, the Democratic Republic of the Congo delivered one of the tournament’s most impressive performances by holding Portugal to a 1-1 draw in Houston. Portugal, considered among the favorites for the title, took an early lead through João Neves in the sixth minute before Yoane Wissa equalized in first-half stoppage time.
Ghana went one step further by securing Africa’s second victory of the tournament. The Black Stars defeated Panama 1-0 thanks to a dramatic stoppage-time winner from Caleb Yirenkyi. The result followed Côte d’Ivoire’s earlier victory over Ecuador and strengthened Ghana’s position in a challenging group that also features England and Croatia.
England underlined its title ambitions with a 4-2 victory over Croatia in one of the most entertaining matches of the competition so far. Harry Kane scored twice as the English side overcame stubborn resistance from the Croatians before pulling away in the second half.
Elsewhere, Colombia defeated Uzbekistan 3-1, while Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, South Africa and the Czech Republic were preparing for their latest group-stage fixtures.
As the tournament enters its next phase, Algeria faces growing pressure to respond after a difficult opening match. The upcoming clash with Jordan could prove decisive in determining whether the Fennecs can keep their hopes of progressing beyond the group stage alive.
Sami B. is the founder and editor of Algeria News Gate, an independent English-language platform covering Algeria’s political, economic, and business developments. Based in Europe, he reports on official announcements, economic trends, and international relations involving Algeria.