Group J of the 2026 FIFA World Cup features defending champions Argentina, African contenders Algeria, European qualifiers Austria, and Asian debutants Jordan.
The group stage runs from June 11 to June 27, 2026, with Group J matches scheduled between June 16 and June 27.
Defending world champions Argentina begin their title defence against Austria, who return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1998, as La Albiceleste chase a historic fourth World Cup crown.
African powerhouse Algeria, known as the Desert Foxes, are back on the global stage after a 12-year absence and will aim to disrupt the group’s balance with their physical and tactical discipline.
Austria’s long-awaited return and Jordan’s historic World Cup debut add intrigue and unpredictability, making Group J one of the most compelling and story-rich sections of the 2026 tournament.
Group J – Teams
Argentina
World Ranking: 2nd (as of January, 2026)
Coach: Lionel Scaloni (Since November 2018)
Key Players: Julián Alvarez (Forward, Atlético Madrid), Enzo Fernández (Midfielder, Chelsea), Alexis Mac Allister (Midfielder, Liverpool).
How they got here: Argentina qualified by winning the highly competitive CONMEBOL (South American) qualifiers, finishing at the top of the table after securing a crucial win against rivals Brazil.
World Cup Performance by Year: 1930 (Runners-up), 1934 (Round of 16), 1958 (Group stage), 1962 (Group stage), 1966 (Quarter-finals), 1974 (Quarter-finals), 1978 (Champions), 1982 (Second group stage), 1986 (Champions), 1990 (Runners-up), 1994 (Round of 16), 1998 (Quarter-finals), 2002 (Group stage), 2006 (Quarter-finals), 2010 (Quarter-finals), 2014 (Runners-up), 2018 (Round of 16), 2022 (Champions).
What Success Looks Like: As defending champions, success for Argentina means making a deep run to the final and aiming to secure their fourth World Cup title, cementing their current status as the best team in the world and potentially giving Lionel Messi a memorable final World Cup appearance.
Algeria
World Ranking: 28th (as of January, 2026)
Coach: Vladimir Petković (Since February 2024)
Key Players: Riyad Mahrez (Captain, Al-Ahli), Ismaël Bennacer (Midfielder, Dinamo Zagreb), Ramy Bensebaini (Defender, Borussia Dortmund).
How they got here: Algeria secured their spot in the 2026 World Cup by topping Group G in the CAF (Confederation of African Football) qualifiers, finishing ahead of strong competition like Nigeria and South Africa.
World Cup Performance by Year: 1982 (Group stage, famously defeated West Germany 2-1), 1986 (Group stage), 2010 (Group stage), 2014 (Round of 16, best performance).
What Success Looks Like: Algeria’s goal is to match or exceed its best-ever performance from 2014 by reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Advancing past the group stage in a difficult group would be seen as a significant success.
Austria
World Ranking: 24 (as of January 2026)
Coach: Ralf Rangnick (Since April 2022)
Key Players: David Alaba (Captain and Real Madrid), Marcel Sabitzer (Midfielder, Borussia Dortmund), Christoph Baumgartner (Midfielder, RB Leipzig).
How they got here: Austria secured their spot by winning Group H of the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) qualification rounds, finishing ahead of strong competition like Sweden and Poland with a dominant performance.
World Cup Performance by Year: 1934 (Fourth place), 1954 (Third place, best performance), 1958 (Group stage), 1978 (Group stage), 1982 (Group stage), 1990 (Group stage), 1998 (Group stage).
What Success Looks Like: After returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1998, success for Austria would be qualifying for the knockout stages. Replicating or exceeding their best-ever performance by reaching the quarter-finals or semi-finals would be an extraordinary achievement.
Jordan
World Ranking: 64th (as of January 2026)
Coach: Jamal Sellami (Since August 2024)
Key Players: Musa Al-Taamari (Forward, Rennes), Yazan Al-Arab (Defender, FC Seoul), Ali Olwan (Forward, Al-Karma).
How they got here: Jordan secured their spot in the 2026 World Cup by finishing as one of the best runners-up in the third round of the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) qualifiers, following a surprising and successful qualifying campaign.
World Cup Performance by Year: This will be Jordan’s debut appearance in the FIFA World Cup.
What Success Looks Like: For the “Chivalrous,” qualifying for their first-ever World Cup is an historic achievement in itself. Success in the tournament would involve securing their first-ever World Cup point or victory, and providing an inspiring story for the nation on the world stage.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J Fixtures and Dates
All times are in Eastern Time (ET). Venues are in the USA for Group J.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, June 16 | 3:00 PM | Argentina vs. Algeria | Arrowhead Stadium |
| Tue, June 16 | 9:00 PM | Austria vs. Jordan | Levi’s Stadium |
| Mon, June 22 | 3:00 PM | Argentina vs. Austria | AT&T Stadium |
| Mon, June 22 | 9:00 PM | Jordan vs. Algeria | Levi’s Stadium |
| Sat, June 27 | 3:00 PM | Algeria vs. Austria | Arrowhead Stadium |
| Sat, June 27 | 3:00 PM | Jordan vs. Argentina | AT&T Stadium |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J points table
The standings below will update live during the tournament. Points are awarded as follows: Win = 3, Draw = 1, Loss = 0.
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| 1 | Argentina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Algeria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Austria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Jordan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Head-to-Head Records & Historical Context
- Argentina vs. Algeria: 3 meetings; Argentina wins 2, Algeria 1. Most recent: 1991 friendly, 1-0 Argentina.
- Argentina vs. Austria: 3 meetings; Argentina wins 2, draw 1. Most recent: 1990 friendly, 1-1 draw.
- Argentina vs. Jordan: No official meetings recorded.
- Algeria vs. Austria: 1 meeting (1982 World Cup); Algeria 2-0 win. Notable: Algeria’s upset in group stage.
- Algeria vs. Jordan: 5 meetings; Algeria wins 3, draws 2. Most recent: 2023 friendly, 2-1 Algeria.
- Austria vs. Jordan: No official meetings.
Group J Outlook & Predictions
Predicted Finishing Order: 1st Argentina, 2nd Austria, 3rd Algeria, 4th Jordan.
In Group J, the defending champions Argentina are the overwhelming favourites to finish first. Second place is expected to be fiercely contested between Austria and Algeria for the automatic qualification spot.
Dark Horses and Potential Surprises: Algeria
In Group J, the primary “dark horse” is Algeria, an experienced African team that could pull off a draw against Argentina or challenge Austria for the automatic second qualifying spot.
When is the Group J matchday schedule?
Matches span June 16 (Matchday 1), June 22 (Matchday 2), and June 27 (Matchday 3), with two games per day. Please take a look at the FIFA World Cup 2026: Groups, Tables, Results, Scores.
How many teams qualify from Group J?
The top two advance automatically. The third-placed team may qualify if among the eight best third-placed across all groups.
Which city hosts which match?
- Kansas City: Argentina vs. Algeria (June 16) and Algeria vs. Austria (June 27).
- San Francisco Bay Area: Austria vs. Jordan (June 16) and Jordan vs. Algeria (June 22).
- Dallas: Argentina vs. Austria (June 22) and Jordan vs. Argentina (June 27).