Algeria’s head coach: “Beating Argentina is not impossible

Algeria open their 2026 World Cup group campaign against Argentina on Wednesday morning, Iran time, with Vladimir Petkovic saying his side can make life difficult for the holders.

Petkovic accepted the size of the task, but argued that football still allows for surprises against stronger opponents. He pointed to Argentina’s status as one of the tournament contenders and said Algeria still have enough to compete.

"Now we have a match against a team that is a contender, not just against us, but probably for the whole tournament. They are the world champions and we have a difficult game ahead," Petkovic said. "But as we have seen so far, achieving something greater or causing a surprise is not impossible."

The Algeria coach also appealed to supporters ahead of the fixture. He said the team had been encouraged by the backing they have received in recent days and asked fans to turn out in numbers.

"We need everyone's support," he said. "We will do everything possible to make the people of Algeria proud and get a positive result."