Messi’s Argentina to open FIFA World Cup against Algeria

Messi, who also won the 2021 and 2024 Copa America, will be 39 during the tournament now expanded to 48 teams

Kolkata: A little less than three years after he lifted the golden statuette at Doha’s Lusail Stadium draped in a black bisht, a traditional Arab cloak, Lionel Messi’s Argentina were placed in Group J with Austria, Algeria and debutants Jordan as they attempt to be the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup.

Messi, who also won the 2021 and 2024 Copa America, will be 39 during the tournament now expanded to 48 teams. Cristiano Ronaldo will be 41 years and four months by the time the World Cup starts ,188 days from Friday on June 11 in Mexico. Ronaldo’s Portugal, winners of the 2016 European championships and the Nations League in 2019 and 2025, are in group K.

In their 23rd finals appearance, five-time champions Brazil, under a full-time foreign coach in Carlo Ancelotti for the first time in 100 years, were drawn in group C and will open against 2022 semi-finalists Morocco. Also in the group are Sotland against whom Brazil opened their 1998 finals campaign. This is the first time this century that Scotland are in the finals.

Also in Brazil’s half of the draw are England who will open against Croatia in a repeat of the 2018 semi-final. France-Senegal and Netherlands-Japan are some of the other opening matches to look forward to. The tournament will be kicked-off by Mexico playing South Africa in Group A. USA, one of the three co-hosts, will start against Paraguay in Group D. The defending champions will open against Algeria.

As decided before Friday’s draw, which opened with a performance of Nessun Dorma by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli at the Washington’s Kennedy Centre, the top four in FIFA rankings were placed in opposite halves. That means Spain (No.1), Argentina (No.2), France (3) and England (4) cannot meet before the semi-finals if they win their groups.

“It will be the greatest FIFA World Cup ever,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Like 104 Super Bowls, he said, referring to the number of matches, up from 64, needed to find the next world champion at New Jersey’s Metlife Stadium on July 19.

“FIFA has been the official happiness provider for humanity for 100 years,” he said. “It’s not the game, it’s the people,” said a woman in a montage that ended saying that to be a fan of football was to be part of the world’s biggest family. President Donald Trump said it was time his country had a different name for its gridiron game because “this is football.”

Anchored by German supermodel Heidi Klum and American actor and comedian Kevin Hart, the draw was long on ceremony and not short on glitz and glamour. Heads of state of the three host countries were in attendance as were the who’s who of football and sport. Roberto Carlos, Kaka, Ronaldo, Diego Forlan, Pepe, Iker Casillas, Juergen Klinsmann, Cafu and US women’s World Cup winner Carli Lloyd were among those spotted blue-lit auditorium as were Shaquille O’Neil, Wayne Gretzky, Tom Brady and Aaron Judge.

It also had the first FIFA Peace Prize given to Trump , “to recognise the enormous efforts of those individuals who unite people, bringing hope for future generations,” as Infantino had put it. The video of Trump’s contribution to world peace curated by FIFA said Trump contributed to world peace including India and Pakistan. Trump mentioned India and Pakistan too in his acceptance speech after saying it was one of the greatest honours of his life.

The business of the draw began with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni carrying the World Cup to the stage. Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney, Mexico president Claudia Sheinbaum and Trump were the draw assistants with Infantino promising that his third visit to the stage would also be his last. He left after a selfie with the heads of state but reappeared in a video with Rio Fernandes who co-conducted the draw.

The 48 qualified teams, including six placeholders who are yet to qualify, were split into 12 groups with the top two getting out of the group will be joined by eight best third-placed teams in the 32-team knockout rounds. Hosts Mexico, Canada and USA were placed in Group A, B and D.