The reigning defenders of the FIFA World Cup trophy began the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in College Station, Texas.
On Saturday, Argentina’s national soccer team played a friendly match at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field against the Honduras national team, as part of the “Road to 26” friendly match series ahead of the start of the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off in Mexico City on Thursday.
An estimated 91, 102 fans attended the match on Saturday, according to the venue. A majority of the attendees were Argentina fans, though a number of Honduran fans attended as well.
Argentina, now ranked as number one in the world by FIFA, led 2-0 over Honduras, which is ranked 65. Lionel Messi, Argentina’s captain and one of the most renowned athletes in the world, did not play on Saturday while rehabilitating from muscle fatigue.
That didn’t stop fans from chanting his name — despite never leaving the bench. Fans cheered each time he was depicted on Kyle Field’s screens.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on Thursday. The first match in Houston will be on June 14, between Germany and Curaçao.
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