World Cup guide: everything you need to know about Group J | OneFootball

The World Cup is almost here! With just hours left to go, Playmaker has stepped up to present the 48 participating national teams through 12 articles - one for each group in the competition. Find out more about each nation, including their likely starting XI and some of the biggest names.

We now move on to Group J, which has a special feel compared with the others, as it includes the current holders, Argentina. Aside from Lionel Scaloni’s side, no other team came close to reaching the decisive match, underlining the gap in quality.

La Albiceleste, in fact, are aiming to join a select group of teams that have won the World Cup twice in a row: Italy (1934 to 1938) and Brazil (1958 to 1962). Those are distant milestones, but they reinforce the ambition of a team that includes Lionel Messi, the superstar who will play his final matches in this competition.

Elsewhere in Group J, there is Austria, back on this stage 28 years later, Jordan, who secured a first-ever place at the tournament, and Algeria, who will be looking to improve on the 14th place achieved at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014. One clear favourite and three teams that, in principle, will battle for second place.

Argentina

Number of appearances: 18

Best finish: winners in 2022

This will be a special tournament for all Argentinians, who will take to the pitch with the champions’ badge on their shirt for the third time in history, after the titles in 1978 and 1986. Despite some criticism of the team during the international breaks in March and April, there is a huge desire for the team to defend their crown.

The players at the coach’s disposal need little introduction. This is a squad full of quality, with world-class players, and should reach the later stages of the competition thanks to the many options available in the group – although there are still some doubts about the impact of the players who may come off the bench.

As mentioned, Argentina are the main favourites to win Group J and all signs point to them securing a place in the next round without too much trouble. If that does not happen, criticism is likely to follow a side that needs confidence and stability...

The coach - Lionel Scaloni

He was one of the great “heroes” of the 2022 campaign. He has been at the helm of the national team since 2018, having also spent time at Sevilla as an assistant coach. As a player, he for teams in Argentina, Spain, England and Italy, gaining plenty of experience along the way. Now, Scolari is preparing to lead Argentina into a fifth major tournament.

The star - Lionel Messi

Talking about Lionel Messi is one of the easiest tasks in all these previews. The Argentinian superstar, now 38, is in the final stretch of his career and his participation in the 2026 World Cup should represent one of its last major moments. He still plays in the United States of America for Inter Miami CF, but has already shown that he does not need much to create danger. One of the greatest players in history.

One to watch - Nico Paz

Although he is only 21, Nico Paz was one of the most exciting players to follow this season, which ended just a few weeks ago. The Como 1907 midfielder helped the team to a historic 2025/2026, and will be looking to bring that same strong form to this World Cup. Although Paz only has eight senior caps so far, he will be a high-quality option for Scaloni whether from the bench or in the starting XI.

Other key players: Rodrigo de Paul (Inter Miami CF), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Julián Álvarez (Atlético de Madrid) and Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa)

Austria

Number of appearances: 7

Best finish: third place in 1954

Far from their strength of earlier eras when they regularly reached the later stages of the competition, Austria arrive at this World Cup with a clear mission after their consistent displays at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024: get out of the group stage. Ralf Rangnick’s side are going through a steady period of growth and qualification for this tournament proved that once again.

Indeed, a look at the qualification campaign is enough to see that the Austrians had one of the best attacks (22 goals scored) and one of the tightest defences, conceding just four times. This is a quality team, well coached and a difficult opponent in any circumstances.

As mentioned earlier, Austria are expected to battle with Argentina for one of the places into the round of 32 in Group J. If they achieve that objective, they will better the performance from 1998, when they were eliminated in the group stage under Herbert Prohaska. 28 years later, they are back on football’s biggest stage.

The coach - Ralf Rangnick

After many experiences in European football (and some spells as an executive in Brazil and the USA), the German decided to accept the invitation to take charge of Austria in 2022, after a rather troubled spell at Manchester United. Interestingly, he was one of the coaches who managed Cristiano Ronaldo on his return to England.

The star - David Alaba

Choosing Austria’s standout player was not easy, given the importance David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic have had for this national team over the years. Even so, the decision fell on the Real Madrid defender, who already has more than 110 caps for his country. A leader, despite the many injuries he has dealt with recently.

One to watch - Carney Chukwuemeka

One of the last-minute “reinforcements” for this 2026 World Cup, after making more than 20 appearances for England’s youth teams. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder, now 22, will be one of the players to watch in this squad at a time when he still has only a handful of senior caps. With that in mind, there are some doubts about how important he will be in Ralf Rangnick’s team, but all signs point to him playing plenty of minutes.

Other key players: Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund), Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich), Marko Arnautović (Crvena Zvezda) and Michael Gregoritsch (FC Augsburg)

Algeria

Number of appearances: four

Best finish: 14th place in 2014

From America to Europe and, now, to Africa. Algeria are back at a World Cup 12 years after their last appearance. Despite their long absence from this stage, Vladimir Petković’s side are an ambitious team, determined to build on their strong 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign (where they reached the quarter-finals) and go further in this competition.

While Argentina and Austria start, on paper, a step ahead of the other Group J opponents, the Algerian side have enough quality to spring a surprise and challenge for a place in the next round, despite how difficult that will be.

Unlike the other teams mentioned earlier, Algeria have players spread across several leagues around the world. Even so, there will be no shortage of quality, and the match against Argentina, scheduled for 17 June at 02:00 UK time, could reveal the path this team is able, or unable, to take towards a possible surprise.

The coach - Vladimir Petković

A football man through and through and his long CV is proof. At 62, Petković has countless experiences in in the game and Algeria is his second adventure at international level (having previously been in charge of Switzerland). He has also sat on the bench for Bellinzona, AC Malcantone, FC Lugano, Young Boys and FC Sion (Switzerland), Samsunspor (Turkey), Lazio (Italy) and Bordeaux (France).

The star - Riyad Mahrez

Although he left Manchester City three seasons ago, Mahrez remains one of the most exciting players to watch. Now 35, the forward is one of his country’s biggest hopes, with nearly 120 caps to his name. Fans less familiar with Saudi football will have another chance to enjoy the forward’s magic.

One to watch - Amine Gouiri

The strongest area of this team is in attack, and Amine Gouiri is one of the reasons why. At 26, the forward earned his place at Marseille and brings decisiveness up front with his finishing ability and technique, making him another top-quality option in this African side’s attacking power.

Other key players: Mohamed Amoura (Wolfsburg), Houssem Aouar (Al-Ittihad Jeddah), Rayan Aït-Nouri (Manchester City) and Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen)

Jordan

Number of appearances: zero

Best finish: -

We reach the end of this Group J preview with a mention for Jordan, a team that lived through hugely emotional days when qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. This is the country's first ever appearance in the competition – so their presence in this edition will forever be part of the football history of this country of more than 11 million people.

Jamal Sellami’s side secured qualification through the AFC qualifiers, finishing second in Group B only behind the Republic of Korea (or South Korea), who were naturally favourites in that context. It was a consistent campaign, marked by just three defeats, which earned them a place in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico.

Looking at the squad, it is clear that most players feature in the domestic league and in peripheral leagues, spread across various parts of the world with a particular focus on Asia. Jordan come into this group as the underdogs, and by quite some distance compared with the other opponents.

The coach - Jamal Sellami

Jamal Sellami joined the Jordan national team in 2024, after several years connected to football in his own country. As a player, he featured for CO Casablanca, Raja Casablanca and Maghreb Fès (Morocco) as well as Beşiktaş (Turkey), before beginning a new chapter on the bench. He has coached DHJ El Jadida, Hassania Agadir, FUS Rabat, Morocco U17, Raja Casablanca and FUS Rabat, and is now into his third year in charge of Jordan.

The star - Moussa Al-Tamari

Moussa Al-Tamari’s case is different from almost all his teammates as he plays in Europe. The experienced winger, now 28, enjoyed a very strong season with Rennes and will want to carry that momentum into his national team performances. He is close to 90 senior caps and, all being well, should reach that milestone at the 2026 World Cup.

One to watch - Ali Al Olwan

Ali Al Olwan stood out in the Asian qualifying campaign, finishing as Jordan’s top scorer with nine goals in 13 matches. Before the end of that phase, the forward suffered a fairly serious injury and was out for several months and although he is still working his way back to top form, the 26-year-old will be one of the players to watch.

Other key players: Noor Al-Rawabdeh (Selangor), Yazeed Abulaila (Al Hussein), Odeh Al Fakhouri (Pyramids FC) and Yazan Al-Arab (FC Seoul)