All articles tagged with #group j
Lionel Messi will not start Argentina's World Cup group finale and could come on as a substitute if needed, as Argentina aims to secure advancement from Group J; Messi remains the World Cup scoring record holder after his recent contributions.
As the final Group J games loom, Algeria and Austria may prefer not to win their clash because the winner would face Spain in the knockout round. Algeria could advance as a Group J third‑place with a draw, while a loss would likely end their run; Austria’s path is more complex, with a loss giving about a 38% chance to advance (rising with other results). Spain will face the winner of Algeria–Austria, and the article even notes the controversial possibility that Algeria might try to engineer a late own goal, underscoring how tiebreakers and risk balance shape the final group-stage strategy.
Algeria and Jordan sit on zero points in Group J after losses to Argentina and Austria, respectively, and they meet in Santa Clara with kickoff at 11 p.m. ET. Algeria is the -195 favorite, Jordan +500, and the draw +330, with an Over/Under of 2.5. Pro bettor Jon 'Buckets' Eimer has released his best bets for the match, including Under 2.5 goals, highlighting his strong World Cup picks track record on SportsLine.
Messi scores a first-half penalty and a stoppage-time brace to power Argentina to a 2-0 win over Austria in Dallas, moving him to the all-time World Cup scoring record (18 goals) and giving Argentina the Group J lead with five goals in two games; Almada assisted the opener as Argentina controlled most of the match, while Austria pressed but could not find a reply.
Austria beat Jordan 3-1 in their World Cup Group J opener in Santa Clara. Romano Schmid opened the scoring with a 20-yard strike, Ali Olwan equalised for Jordan early in the second half, Yazan Al Arab’s glancing own goal put Austria back in front, and Marko Arnautovic added a stoppage-time penalty to seal the win. Jordan pressed in the first half and hit the bar through Olwan, while Arnautovic became Austria’s oldest World Cup player at 37 years 59 days; the win puts Austria level with Argentina at the top of Group J.
Austria return to the World Cup after 28 years to face debutants Jordan in Group J at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. Guided by Rangnick, Austria will press high and build from the back with a midfield spine of Sabitzer, Seiwald, Laimer and captain Alaba, while Jordan line up in a 3-4-3 looking to counter with Musa Al-Taamari. The match opener saw Austria in control of possession early as Jordan sought fast breaks, with starting XIs confirmed for both sides ahead of kick-off.
Defending champions Argentina, with Lionel Messi aiming to become the first player to play in six World Cups, open their World Cup 2026 campaign in Group J against Algeria in Kansas City. Algeria, led by Riyad Mahrez and featuring rising talent Ibrahim Maza, hope to upset and advance from a group that also includes Austria and Jordan. Opta simulations give Argentina a strong win probability (about 68%), and the group stage will see the top two teams from each group advance to the Round of 32.