Head coach of the Argentina national team, Lionel Scaloni, commented on the opponents in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, which will be Algeria, Austria, and Jordan, and acknowledged that "in principle, we should be satisfied". At the same time, he clarified that "matches have to be played" and recalled the defeat in the opening match of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar against Saudi Arabia 2-1. Scaloni, who had an emotional moment when presenting the World Cup trophy before the draw began, described the situation as very emotional: "Holding it in your hands is a unique experience". When asked about the opponents in the group stage, the native of Pujato analyzed: "These are opponents that we believe we can play our game against, but matches have to be played. The responsibility is always on us". He also said about the host cities where they will play: "San Francisco and Kansas are places with a lot of heat". The Argentina national team, which avoided major opponents in the group stage by being in Pot 1, will seek to repeat what they did almost three years ago in Qatar and lift the World Cup trophy for the fourth time, equaling Italy and Germany as the second most winning nations. "In principle, we should be satisfied with the group," he continued. "I know the opponents. We don't know Jordan as well, but we already have the experience of playing against Saudi Arabia." In addition, he ventured to comment on the possibility of playing against Spain or Uruguay in the Round of 16, which could be a very tough clash: "It's not that great, but whoever we face, we have to try to do our best. Austria and Algeria are tough opponents."
