Reigning champions Argentina kick off their campaign by taking on African side Algeria in Group J clash at Kansas City Stadium.
Group J
Kick-off time
Wednesday,17 June | 09:00 (GMT+8)
The match
The eyes of the world will be on Argentina as they kick off their title defence in Kansas City. Algeria eased through African qualifying and can still call upon veteran playmaker Riyad Mahrez. Can they cause an almighty upset in their first-ever World Cup meeting with Argentina? Or will Lionel Messi and Co lay down a title marker?
Argentina possible line-up
E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Mac Allister, E Fernandez, Almada; Messi, J Alvarez
Algeria possible line-up
Zidane; Belghali, Mandi, Bensebaini, Ait-Nouri; Bentaleb, Aouar, Maza; Mahrez, Gouiri, Amoura
Kansas City Stadium
Kansas City Stadium is certified by Guinness World Records as the loudest outdoor sports venue in the world and has hosted a record five consecutive NFL Conference Championships.
The arena, which is the home of the NFL Kansas City Chiefs, reached a record-breaking decibel level of 142.2 when the Chiefs took on the New England Patriots in 2014.
Known as the soccer capital of America, Kansas City is home to two-time MLS champions Sporting KC and 2022 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) finalists KC Current and is a bi-state metropolitan area that straddles the state line between Missouri and Kansas.