Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina face huge expectations ahead of their World Cup opener against Algeria, with fans flooding Kansas City and creating an electric atmosphere as pressure builds on Lionel Scaloni’s squad to repeat history.
“Not only the Argentinian population but everybody, the whole planet wants to see him play,” Scaloni said a day before the game. “Everybody wants to see him on the pitch, because he has an effect not only on Argentina fans but supporters all over the world.”
Hundreds of Argentina fans flew in from Buenos Aires to Kansas City just in time to watch Messi play, with supporters packing the streets hours before kickoff. Social media has been flooded with messages of support, hope and expectation, with the atmosphere already building in football-loving cities across the world long before the match itself.
Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, was converted for the tournament with capacity approaching 76,000, with Argentina supporters waving blue-and-white flags in sections stretching from one end line to the other. Kickoff was set for 9pm Eastern time on 16 June, making it the night’s headline fixture.
The frenzy carries extra weight given the personal significance of the occasion for Messi, who became the first outfield player in history to appear at six separate World Cups. The 38-year-old Inter Miami captain first played at a World Cup in Germany in 2006 at the age of 18, going on to feature in South Africa, Brazil, Russia and Qatar. For fans, this is widely seen as their last chance to watch him compete on football’s biggest stage, with the forward turning 39 at the end of June.
While Messi is admired worldwide, the pressure from supporters back home is of a different order, with the three-time champions expected to repeat their 2022 feat and join Germany and Italy on four titles. Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul summed up the squad’s mindset: “They will judge us by what we do in this World Cup. We arrive in great shape. We want to compete, as we said in the previous World Cup. We want to arrive on the first day and leave on the last.”
Selection concerns lingered ahead of kickoff, with Messi managing a hamstring issue and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez nursing a finger fracture, though both were expected to start. Julian Alvarez’s minor injury could open the door for Lautaro Martinez in attack.
Argentina enter as favourites in Group J, which also features Austria and Jordan, while Algeria, last at a World Cup in 2014, remain the group’s biggest unknown.
Fan fervour has built steadily in the build-up, with hundreds of supporters flying in from Buenos Aires to Kansas City. Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, was converted for the tournament with capacity approaching 76,000, and kickoff set for 7am Bangladesh time on 17 June.
