World Cup 2026 Group J: Standings, results, and who can qualify
Lionel Messi made history as he led Argentina to the top of the group after a comfortable opening game.
Argentina and Austria made winning starts to their 2026 World Cup campaigns and already look set for a fascinating battle for first place in Group J.
The defending champions opened with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Algeria in Miami. Lionel Messi provided the spark once again, scoring a hat-trick and helping Argentina control the match from start to finish. Victory for Lionel Scaloni’s side was never really in doubt and immediately established the South Americans as the team to beat in the group.
A few hours later, Austria matched Argentina’s winning start by defeating Jordan 3-1. Ralf Rangnick’s team recovered from an early scare to take all three points and move level with Argentina at the top of the standings after Matchday 1.
With both favorites winning their opening games, the pressure is already building on Algeria and Jordan. The two defeated teams meet on Matchday 2 in what could become an elimination game, while Argentina and Austria face off in one of the most intriguing second-round fixtures of the group stage.
Group J: results
- Argentina 3-0 Algeria
- Austria 3-1 Jordan
Group J: standings
After the first matchups in the group, the table looks like this:
| Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
| Austria | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 3 |
| Jordan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| Algeria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
Group J: remaining games
- June 22: Argentina vs Austria
- June 22: Jordan vs Algeria
- June 27: Jordan vs Argentina
- June 27: Algeria vs Austria
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