Group J houses the defending World Cup champions in Argentina, alongside a trio of teams looking to make a name for themselves in Austria, Algeria, and Jordan. Argentina have the most to defend, but the other three all equally have quite a lot to prove.
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SixOneFive Soccer Staff
TEAMS: Argentina 🇦🇷 | Algeria 🇩🇿 | Austria 🇦🇹 | Jordan 🇯🇴
Argentina 🇦🇷
FIFA World Ranking: 1
Argentina enters the 2026 World Cup looking to defend their crown after winning one of the most thrilling finals in the history of the sport to cap the 2022 World Cup.
This is most likely the last ride for one of the sport's greatest ever players in Lionel Messi, who, even though he will turn 39 during the tournament, still looks world-class on a week-to-week basis.
The team around him isn't bad either, with elite players like Julián Alvarez, Alexis Mac Allister, Lisandro Martínez, Leandro Paredes, and Emiliano Martínez making up the spine of this team. They're certainly aged from their 2022 trophy-winning tournament, but they're still one of the world's elite sides.
How they qualified: Argentina finished first in CONMEBOL's ten-team qualifying section, winning 12 and losing just four of their 18 qualifying matches.
Best ever finish: Champions (1978, 1986, 2022)
Odds to win World Cup: +900
Key Player: Everything starts and ends with Lionel Messi. The entire tactical set-up is built to flow towards or through Messi. For good reason, of course; his 116 international goals in 198 appearances are more than double the total any other Argentine has ever achieved.
He still plays at an incredibly high level every week, and even though he's missing Argentina's tour of the Southeastern Conference due to an injury he suffered on the final MLS matchday before the World Cup, he's still probably going to play as many minutes as his body physically allows him to.
X-factor: What does Argentina get out of their strikers? Julián Alvarez and Lautaro Martínez are going to be the two who get the most time up front, and both are capable of leading the line.
This season at club level, Alvarez managed 20 goals and nine assists in 49 appearances in all competitions for Atletico Madrid, while Martinez logged 22 goals and six assists in 41 appearances in all competitions for Inter Milan.
In 2022, the pair combined for four goals and no assists, but all four goals were scored by Alvarez. This was fine, of course, because the likes of Messi and now-retired Angel Di María made up for it with a prolific goalscoring run of their own.
Can Argentina survive if that's the case again?
What's their ceiling? They're the defending champions, and they have the talent required to do it again. No country has won back-to-back World Cups since Brazil did so in 1958 and 1962.
Projection: Argentina lose a heartbreaker in the semifinals, but win the third-place game.
Fun fact: Argentina is home to more cows than people, with an estimated bovine population of 52-54 million, compared to an estimated homo sapiens population of 45-46 million.
Algeria 🇩🇿
FIFA World Ranking: 28
Algeria returns to the World Cup for the first time since 2014, and only their fifth appearance all-time. They look to replicate the success of that 2014 tournament which saw Algeria reaching the knockout stage, being eliminated by eventual champions Germany.
Outside the World Cup, Algeria also won the 2019 African Cup of Nations.
Algerian manager Vladimir Petkovic previously guided Switzerland to the knockout stage of both the 2018 World Cup, and EURO 2020.
How they qualified: Algeria comfortably won Group G in CAF's qualification system, winning eight of ten group stage games and losing just once. Algeria finished seven points clear of second place Uganda, and also ahead of Mozambique, Guinea, Botswana and Somalia.
Best ever finish: Round of 16 (2014)
Odds to win World Cup: +35000
Key Player: 35-year old Riyad Mahrez is still probably the headline getter among this Algerian squad, now featuring for Saudi club Al-Ahli after a long and productive stint at Manchester City.
Mahrez is second all-time in caps for Algeria, behind just Aïssa Mandi, who also features in the squad for this tournament. Mahrez, in likely his first and final World Cup, will be one of Algeria's most important players.
X-factor: There are a number of interesting prospects for this distinction. Manchester City's Rayan Aït-Nouiri made 17 Premier League appearances this season at left back, and Houssem Aouar, of Saudi club Al-Ittihad notched eight goals this club season.
However, the choice here is going to be 26-year old Marseille forward Amine Gouiri, who notched 11 goals in all competitions across 1,705 minutes this season. While this is likely Mahrez's only attempt at this competition, Gouiri, among others like Aouar, seems primed to lead Algeria for years to come. This tournament is a great platform for Gouiri to establish himself as a future talismanic figure
What's their ceiling? Argentina seems like the clear pace-setter in this group, but Algeria have enough top-end from a talent perspective that they seem in a good position to get out of the group. A pairing with Group H in the round of 32 is incredibly difficult, especially knowing the winner of that group is likely Spain.
Projection: Algeria finishes second in the group before getting eliminated in the Round of 32, likely by Spain.
Fun fact: Algeria, despite the fact that the vast majority of the country is covered by the Sahara Desert, is home to some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in the world, most notably the city of Timgad, founded by the Roman emperor Trajan almost 2,000 years ago.
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Austria 🇦🇹
FIFA World Ranking: 23
Austria enters the World Cup led by manager Ralf Rangnick, who has extensive experience at the club level, and a squad full of a mix of mainstays and younger talent.
This is Austria's first appearance at a World Cup since 1998, and only their eighth overall. Austria has not made it out of the group stage since finishing third in 1954.
Readers might recognize the likes of David Alaba, Kevin Danso, Konrad Laimer, Marko Arnautovic, Marcel Sabitzer and Carney Chukwuemeka in the Austrian squad.
How they qualified: Austria won Group H in UEFA's qualification system, winning six group games and losing just once in a group that also contained Bosnia & Herzegovina, Romania, Cyprus, and San Marino
Best ever finish: Third place (1954)
Odds to win World Cup: +15000
Key Player: David Alaba is Austria's most experienced player at club level, having won basically any and everything available to him across his time at both Bayern München and Real Madrid, where the 33-year old currently plays. He has the second most caps of anyone on the squad with 113, trailing only Arnautovic who is Austria's all-time cap leader with 133 to date.
X-factor: As mentioned, Marko Arnautovic is Austria's all-time caps leader, as well as his country's all-time leading goalscorer, but he is 37 years old.
Borussia Dortmund's Marcel Sabitzer is a natural pick here, having scored 26 times in 98 international appearances.
If, in an X-factor, you're looking for a substitute who can provide a spark out of nowhere, look no further than former Aston Villa and Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, who also plays at Borussia Dortmund. The 22-year old Chukwuemeka filed a one-time switch in March from England to Austria.
What's their ceiling? Austria is definitely a threat to make it out of the group, but beyond that it's hard to say.
Projection: Austria finishes third in the group, but qualifies for the round of 32, where they are eliminated.
Fun fact: Austria is home to the world's oldest zoo still in operation, Vienna's Tiergarten Schönbrunn, first established in 1752. The zoo is also one of only 20 outside China to house Giant Pandas.
Jordan 🇯🇴
FIFA World Ranking: 63
Welcome to the world stage, Jordan! For the very first time, Jordan has qualified for the World Cup on their 11th attempt at qualification since 1986. Jordan finished second in both the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, as well as the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup, falling to Qatar and Morocco, respectively.
How they qualified: Jordan finished second in Group B in the third round of AFC qualifying, six points behind leaders South Korea, and one point ahead of third-placed Iraq.
Best ever finish: First appearance
Odds to win World Cup: +250000
Key Player: Musa Al-Taamari is the only player in Jordan's squad currently plying his trade at a European club, having notched six goals and nine assists in 33 Ligue 1 appearances for Rennes. Al-Taamari has scored 24 goals in 91 international appearances.
X-factor: While Al-Taamari has the most experience at club level among the squad, it is actually Ali Olwan who leads the squad in goals scored at the international level. The 26-year old has scored an incredibly impressive 29 goals in 65 international appearances, and he plays his club football for Al-Sailiya in the Qatar Stars League.
What's their ceiling? Making it here was a big accomplishment for Jordan. They're playing with house money. Making it out of the group isn't entirely unthinkable, but it would be quite the surprise.
Projection: Jordan is eliminated in the group stage.
Fun fact: Take your pick! From the ruins of Petra being named among the New Seven Wonders of the World, to the Dead Sea being the lowest point below sea level on dry land, to the capital city of Amman once being named Philadelphia during the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
Amman is also one of the oldest continually inhabited cities on earth, with archaeological discoveries in the city dating back as far as 9,500 years ago.
Group J wrap
| Pos | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | Advances to Round of 32 |
| 2 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | Advances to Round of 32 |
| 3 | 🇦🇹 Austria | Best-third-place contender |
| 4 | 🇯🇴 Jordan | Eliminated |
The match that decides it: Algeria and Austria's meeting looks like the match that will decide which team finishes the group in second and advances, and which team will need to hope they're one of the best third-placed teams.
Best third-place watch: Austria might be a surprise to finish in third, but they should be able to clear seven other third-place teams and advance to the knockouts.
