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No shots on target in 90 minutes: Algeria worse than Curaçao and Haiti at World Cup

Beaten 3-0 by Argentina in Kansas City, Algeria is the only nation at the 2026 World Cup to have failed to register a single shot on target in its opening match, a record worse than that of Curaçao, Haiti or Cape Verde.

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No shots on target in 90 minutes: Algeria worse than Curaçao and Haiti at World Cup
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Algeria suffered a 3-0 defeat to Argentina in its opening match at the 2026 World Cup, in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Kansas City. All three Argentine goals were scored by Lionel Messi.

Beyond the scoreline, it is the offensive sterility of the Fennecs that stands out. Over the full 90 minutes, Vladimir Petkovic’s side failed to register any of their seven attempted shots on target. A record that makes Algeria the only team in the tournament to have failed to find the target in their first match.

The comparison is harsh: nations considered less well-equipped — Curaçao, Haiti and Cape Verde — all managed to trouble the opposing goalkeeper in their opening competition. The Greens, meanwhile, failed to do so even once.

In defence, the fragility was equally concerning. Luca Zidane, in the Algerian goal, delivered a poor performance against an Argentina side that needed only their chances to settle the match.

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