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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is larger than ever before at 48 teams, and that necessitates four more groups than the previous World Cup.
Enter Groups I, J, K and L.
While Group J might sound unnatural for ardent fans of the World Cup, it houses Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina.
Here’s a complete guide to Group J’s four teams and match schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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World Cup Group J schedule
Group J table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Group J fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Tue, Jun. 16 | TBD | Argentina vs. Algeria | TBD |
| Tue, Jun. 16 | TBD | Austria vs. Jordan | TBD |
| Mon, Jun. 22 | TBD | Argentina vs. Austria | TBD |
| Mon, Jun. 22 | TBD | Jordan vs. Algeria | TBD |
| Sat, Jun. 27 | TBD | Jordan vs. Argentina | TBD |
| Sat, Jun. 27 | TBD | Algeria vs. Austria | TBD |
Note that the full list of match venues and times will be updated by FIFA on Dec. 6 following the World Cup draw.
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World Cup Group J teams
Argentina
With Lionel Messi as the undisputed star, Argentina are among the favorites to win the title again. The Inter Miami number 10 is the captain of the team led by Lionel Scaloni, who will bet on maintaining the core of the winning group from Qatar 2022 with some new additions.
The current world champions have enjoyed a successful run since December 18, 2022, winning the 2024 Copa America and finishing top of the South American qualifiers. This project, which continues to be led by Scaloni, has managed to bring together a generation with experience and authority with the drive of new figures looking to continue the legacy.
Those who could enjoy their first World Cup include Franco Mastantuono, Nicolas Paz, Giuliano Simeone, Leo Balerdi and Valentin Barco, among others. Only two teams have managed to win consecutive World Cups: Italy (1934-1938) and Brazil (1958-1962). Argentina certainly have the quality and experience to become the third.
Algeria
Algeria have climbed back into football’s top tier, ending a 12-year wait to rejoin the world’s elite. With Riyad Mahrez wearing the armband and ex-Switzerland boss Vladimir Petkovic calling the shots, the Desert Foxes sealed their return to the World Cup with a commanding 3-0 victory over Somalia, clinching top spot in Group G and punching their first ticket since 2014.
This will mark Algeria’s fifth appearance on the biggest stage, though they’ve only escaped the group phase once, that memorable 2014 run that ended with a gritty round-of-16 battle against Germany.
Petkovic, appointed in February 2024, arrives with a deep coaching resume shaped across Swiss football, including notable stints with Bellinzona and Young Boys. His experience now fuels Algeria’s ambitions as they step back onto the global stage.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 35
- Regional ranking: 6th (CAF)
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 4 (2014)
- How qualified: 1st, CAF qualifying Group G: 8W-1L-1D
- Coach: Vladimir Petkovic (Switzerland) since February 2024
- Key player(s): Rayan Ait-Nouri (Manchester City), Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli), Amine Gouiri (Marseille)
Austria
One of the most obvious beneficiaries of the expansion to 48 teams at the 2026 World Cup is Austria. Qualifying for their first finals since 1998, they snuck in at the bottom of Pot 2 and will be a threat to any top team’s hopes of not only topping their group but escaping the early knockout stages as well.
National-team stars Marko Arnautovic, Marcel Sabitzer and David Alaba are all on the wrong side of 30, and likely have just this chance to enjoy the bright lights of the World Cup. Naturally, they’ll hope to make the most of this opportunity to shine.
Despite being in the twilight of their international careers, these international centurions (Sabitzer will aim to reach triple-digit caps at the tournament itself) are still capable of wrecking the tournament of a higher-ranked side on their best day — just ask France, who, despite beating Austria in their group opener at Euro 2024, would wind up second behind the Burschen in the final group standings.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 24th
- Regional ranking: 12th (UEFA)
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 7 (France 1998)
- How qualified: UEFA Group H winners: 6W-1D-1L
- Coach: Ralf Rangnick (Austria) since April 2022
- Key player(s): Marcel Sabitzer (Dortmund), David Alaba (Real Madrid), Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich)
Jordan
Having qualified for their first-ever World Cup, Jordan are looking to prove they belong. While many will argue they benefited from the expansion to 48 teams, Jordan qualified in the third round of AFC qualification, ahead of more established Asian national teams like Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Fifty-five-year-old head coach Jamal Sellami is in his first national-team job, having led Moroccan club FUS Rabat for three years previously. However, the Jordan national team has been on the rise since before his arrival in the summer of 2024. They reached their first-ever major tournament final in 2023, falling to Qatar at the AFC Asian Cup, having beaten South Korea and Iraq on the way.
Their roster is experienced, with many players having logged over 50 international caps. They are largely made up of players contracted to Jordanian clubs, although there are a number at teams in Iraq, Qatar, and Kuwait, while a few play in Europe or the Far East.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 66
- Regional ranking: 9th (AFC)
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 0
- How qualified: AFC Third Round Group B runners-up: 4W-2L-4D
- Coach: Jamal Sellami (Morocco) since June 2024
- Key player(s): Yazan Al-Naimat (Al-Arabi), Yazan Al-Arab (FC Seoul), Musa Al-Taamari (Rennes)
WORLD CUP DRAW BREAKDOWNS:
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F
Group G | Group H | Group I | Group K | Group L
World Cup Group J odds and predictions
Here are the odds for each team in Group J to win and qualify from the group, with odds courtesy of DraftKings. These odds will be updated as available.
| Team | Group Winner | To Qualify | Win title |
| Argentina | -370 | +8000 | |
| Algeria | +350 | +20000 | |
| Austria | +1000 | +15000 | |
| Jordan | +5000 | +250000 |
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World Cup 2026 bracket for Group J
The winner of Group J will enter the knockout stage bracket on the bottom half, scheduled to take on the runner-up of Group H.
The Group J runner-up enters the top half of the bracket and will meet the winner of Group H.
The third-place finisher in Group J has several potential landing spots in the bracket, but only eight groups will have a third-place qualifier for the knockout stage.
Until all third-place qualifiers are known, it is impossible to predict where or when they could potentially play because there are 495 mathematical combinations of third place qualifiers.
Round of 32
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jun. 28 | M1: 2nd, Group A vs. 2nd, Group B | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M2: 1st, Group E vs. 3rd place finisher | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M3: 1st, Group F vs. 2nd, Group C | Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, MEX) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M4: 1st, Group C vs. 2nd, Group F | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M5: 1st, Group I vs. 3rd place finisher | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M6: 2nd, Group E vs. 2nd, Group I | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M7: 1st, Group A vs. 3rd place finisher | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M8: 1st, Group L vs. 3rd place finisher | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M9: 1st, Group D vs. 3rd place finisher | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M10: 1st, Group G vs. 3rd place finisher | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M11: 2nd, Group K vs. 2nd, Group L | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M12: 1st, Group H vs. 2nd, Group J | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M13: 1st, Group B vs. 3rd place finisher | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | M14: 1st, Group J vs. 2nd, Group H | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | M15: 1st, Group K vs. 3rd place finisher | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
| Fr, Jul. 3 | M16: 2nd, Group D vs. 2nd, Group G | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
Round of 16
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | M1: Winner, R32 M2 vs. Winner, R32 M5 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA) |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | M2: Winner, R32 M1 vs. Winner, R32 M3 | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | M3: Winner, R32 M4 vs. Winner, R32 M6 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | M4: Winner, R32 M7 vs. Winner, R32 M8 | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | M5: Winner, R32 M11 vs. Winner, R32 M12 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | M6: Winner, R32 M9 vs. Winner, R32 M10 | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | M7: Winner, R32 M14 vs. Winner, R32 M16 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | M8: Winner, R32 M13 vs. Winner, R32 M15 | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Match | Location |
| Thu, Jul. 9 | QF1: Winner, R16 M1 vs. Winner, R16 M2 | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Fri, Jul. 10 | QF2: Winner, R16 M5 vs. Winner, R16 M6 | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | QF3: Winner, R16 M3 vs. Winner, R16 M4 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | QF4: Winner, R16 M7 vs. Winner, R16 M8 | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
Semifinals
| Date | Match | Location |
| Tue, Jul. 14 | SF1: Winner, QF1 vs. Winner, QF2 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Wed, Jul. 15 | SF2: Winner, QF3 vs. Winner, QF4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
Third place match
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 18 | Loser, SF1 vs. Loser, SF2 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
Final
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jul. 19 | Winner, SF1 vs. Winner, SF2 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
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