Scaloni: Argentina’s World Cup opener vs. Algeria is important but not decisive as it defends title

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni knows the World Cup won't be decided in the opening match of the tournament.

La Albiceleste proved that four years ago.

But that also doesn't mean the reigning champions want to begin like they did in Qatar, when they were stunned by Saudi Arabia in their opener in group play. Argentina rebounded to beat Poland and Mexico, beat the Netherlands in a quarterfinal shootout, and ultimately topped France in another shootout to win its third world title.

“We've had the experience of the last World Cup,” Scaloni said Monday, the day before Argentina opens the 2026 edition against Algeria, “so this first match is not critical. I mean, it's important, but it doesn't end in the first match.”

Only twice has a country defended its World Cup title: Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962.

“We're happy,” Scaloni added through an interpreter. “We are assured and confident. We're here and we are at a very good moment.”

Scaloni said he would finalize his lineup after Monday night's training, but he did sound optimistic about the health of his squad.

Lionel Messi has been dealing with a mild hamstring strain, Nico Paz has been working past a knee injury, Julian Alvarez has had an ankle injury, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is expected to start despite a fractured ring finger.

The only real question is Nicolas Tagliafico, who has been working through a muscle tear in the back of his left leg.

“You know, the players on the national team are all top-notch players, and some of them have injuries or not. This time around, there is nobody with an injury — only Nico, he's the only one. Nobody else has a serious injury,” Scaloni said.

As for Alvarez, “We've been taking good are of him,” Scaloni said, “so he arrives at optimal condition. I think that his recovery has been important because he is another option for us tomorrow.”

The 38-year-old Messi has not spoken to the media since his arrival at Argentina's base camp in Kansas City two weeks ago, but in the few glimpses that reporters have had of training, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has looked fit and relaxed.

Messi put any doubts about his hamstring to rest last week by playing 20 minutes and scoring in a tuneup with Iceland.

“Not only the Argentinian population but everybody — the whole planet — wants to see him play,” Scaloni said. “Everybody wants to see him on the pitch, because he has an effect not only on Argentinian fans but supporters all over the world.”

In the opening match of Monday's slate, heavily favored Spain was played to a scoreless draw by Cape Verde in what could be one of the biggest surprises of the World Cup. The match ended as Scaloni and Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi were on their way to Arrowhead Stadium for their prematch news conference, but they certainly were aware of the result.

They took it as a warning, too, that anything can happen, even in an enlarged 48-team tournament.

“There's no easy rival,” Scaloni said. “Everybody deserves to be in this World Cup, and we are concerned about Algeria. They have high-quality players. We know it's going to be a good test. It's not going to be the definitive test but it's going to be a good test.”

Algeria noticed the Spain-Cape Verde outcome, too

“Of course we're not favorites for this match,” Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic acknowledged, “but as we've seen thus far in the World Cup, there can be upsets, and we will try to do so. We will try to cause one.”

Argentina has already weathered two tornado warnings since its arrival in Kansas City, and Algeria has likewise contended with some severe weather at is training base in nearby Lawrence, Kansas. In between, the heat index at times has approached triple digits.

The forecast for Wednesday night looks much better, though. The temperature should be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 Celsius) as the game begins at 8 p.m. local time, and there is almost no chance of rain.

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Argentina's Nicolas Otamendi address the media during a press conference ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament Monday, June 15, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni address the media during a press conference ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament Monday, June 15, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni address the media during a press conference ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament Monday, June 15, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The man who died when a small jet crashed on a Texas highway was an entrepreneur well-known in the state for being at the center of Austin’s turbocharged evolution as a technology hub.

Joshua Baer, 50, described himself as an “Austinpreneur,” a reference to the state capital and his enthusiasm for getting people into business. He founded Capital Factory, which has grown into an important Austin-based venture capital firm supporting a range of technology startup companies, from robots to autonomous ships.

Baer’s LinkedIn page shows him wearing a black T-shirt and pointing at the message: “I help people quit jobs.” His email had a similar handle. Capital Factory's downtown headquarters is among the offices of tech giants like Google.

“Whether you’re in technology or not, there’s a hole in the heart of Austin today,” Thom Singer, CEO of the Austin Technology Council, which promotes the local tech industry, said of Baer’s death.

Baer listed his life strategy as, “Plant lots of seeds. Water everyone's. Repeat.” And people noticed: The Austin mayor in 2023 gave him a key to the city, a symbol of civic honor.

Bryan Chambers, co-founder and president of Capital Factory, said his business partner was a “true super connector.”

Baer was aboard a business jet that crashed Tuesday on a highway in Laredo, Texas, after the pilots reported mechanical problems and requested to make an emergency landing at an airport. His LinkedIn profile said he had a wife and three children. It wasn't known whether three young people who survived the crash were family members.

After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he created an email marketing business, Baer moved to Austin in 1996 to work as a software developer at Trilogy Inc. He started Capital Factory in 2009 and regularly held business chats with people at a coffee shop.

“My hobby is startups,” Baer told the Austin American-Statesman in 2012. “I don’t watch sports or anything like that. So this is what I do. ... I want to be an investor in every great tech company that comes out of Austin. That’s probably unrealistic, but I’m going to try anyway.”

Baer often spoke to high school students and had the title of “entrepreneur in residence” at the University of Texas.

“He was passionate that technology could change the world and make people's lives efficient and better,” Singer said. “And if entrepreneurs did it right, they could make money and help their communities. He believed in those two things.”

Texas U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn said they were saddened by Baer’s death. Cornyn wrote on X that Baer was an “innovative & creative leader in Austin’s entrepreneurial culture.”

People attempt to pull passengers out of a plane after it crashed on a highway Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Laredo, Texas. (Zayra Garza via AP)

Joshua Baer, the founder and CEO of Capital Factory, poses for a photo at the Force Con event, May 29, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas. (Billy Calzada/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)