17/06/2026 03:04 - Actualidad
Partido de fútbol con símbolos comerciales entre Argentina y Argelia: maíz, leche, petróleo, representando el comercio bilateral de más de US$ 1.000 millones
On June 16, 2026, Argentina will make its World Cup debut against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. But beyond the football rivalry, both nations maintain a thriving commercial relationship that heavily favors the Argentine economy, with a trade surplus exceeding US$1 billion recorded in 2025.
For context: The World Cup is the pinnacle of international football, and Argentina enters as the defending champion after their 2022 triumph in Qatar. Their opening match against Algeria—a North African powerhouse—will be one of the most anticipated games of the group stage.
Algeria is Africa's largest country by land area, spanning 2.3 million km² (nearly five times the size of Texas). However, much of its territory is dominated by the Sahara Desert. Its population of 47 million is nearly identical to Argentina's.
Yet Algeria's GDP stands at approximately US$267 billion—less than half of Argentina's—according to economist Lara López Calvo, who appeared on Infobae a la Tarde, a prominent Argentine news program.
Algeria ranks among the world's top 15 oil and gas exporters and leads the entire African continent in hydrocarbon exports. This energy dominance has allowed the nation to accumulate international reserves exceeding US$57 billion—surpassing Argentina's own reserves.
The downside: Algeria's economy remains undiversified and highly vulnerable to fluctuations in global oil prices.
During the first four months of 2026, Argentina recorded a trade surplus of US$567 million with Algeria—meaning Argentina sells 50 times more than it purchases from the North African nation, according to data from INDEC (Argentina's National Institute of Statistics and Census).
| Trade Metric | 2025 Full Year | Jan-Apr 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Trade Volume | US$ 1,170-1,288 million | US$ 577 million |
| Argentine Exports | US$ 1,169 million | US$ 567 million |
| Argentine Imports | US$ 118 million | US$ 10 million |
| Argentine Trade Surplus | US$ 1,000 million | US$ 557 million |
2025 Volume: 2.9 million metric tons
Value: US$ 500-598 million
Algeria ranks as the 4th largest global buyer of Argentine corn
2025 Volume: 70,711 metric tons
Value: US$ 278.6 million
2nd largest destination for Argentine dairy (after Brazil)
216,000 tons/year
US$ 69.5 million
US$ 177 million
Used as animal feed
Fish, sunflower products, dried legumes
Argentine imports from Algeria remain limited and focus primarily on agricultural inputs:
In 2025, Argentina also imported liquid helium worth US$ 113 million from Algeria—a crucial element for medical imaging and aerospace industries.
In May 2026, government representatives from both nations agreed to relaunch agricultural cooperation programs. Argentine Ambassador to Algeria, Atilio Berardi, met with Algeria's Minister of Agriculture, Yacine Mehdi Oualid, to deepen bilateral relations.
Argentina and Algeria face each other in World Cup 2026 with contrasting economic models: one diversified (agroindustry, manufacturing, services, energy) and one concentrated in hydrocarbons. The development of Vaca Muerta—Argentina's massive shale oil and gas formation in Neuquén Province—could bring Argentina closer to Algeria's energy-exporting profile in the coming years.
Source: Infobae - Argentina's leading digital news outlet
Alfredo S. Quiroga
