One of the World Cup‘s most intriguing group stage matches will take place on Monday, June 22 when Argentina faces Austria in Arlington, Texas.
Lionel Messi and defending World Cup champion Argentina are coming off an impressive victory over Algeria. It was a vintage performance for Messi, who turns 39 on June 24 ‒ the soccer G.O.A.T. recorded a hat trick in the win while matching Germany’s Miroslav Klose for most goals scored in men’s World Cup history.
Austria is back in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years and appears in top form after the long absence. Under renowned coach Ralf Rangnick ‒ who is known for his gegenpressing style of play ‒ Austria won six of its eight World Cup qualifiers to reach the 2026 tournament, then convincingly defeated Jordan 3-1 in its first World Cup match.
Group J standings
Here’s how the Group J standings look after one match has been played (goal differential in parentheses):
- Argentina 1-0-0 (+3) – 3 points
- Austria 1-0-0 (+2) – 3 points
- Jordan 0-0-1 (-2) – 0 points
- Algeria 0-0-1 (-3) – 0 points
Group J match results and schedule
Both Argentina and Austria are coming off convincing wins in their respective 2026 World Cup openers. Argentina cruised to a 3-0 win over Algeria, while Austria dispatched Jordan 3-1.
- June 16: Argentina 3, Algeria 0
- June 16: Austria 3, Jordan 1
- June 22: Argentina vs. Austria | Dallas | 1 p.m. ET | FOX
- June 22: Jordan vs. Algeria | San Francisco Bay Area | 11 p.m. ET | FS1
- June 27: Jordan vs. Argentina | Dallas | 10 p.m. ET | FOX
- June 27: Algeria vs. Austria | Kansas City | 10 p.m. ET | FS1
Next match: Argentina vs. Austria
The Argentina vs. Austria match on Monday, June 22 in Arlington, Texas, should decide which squad wins the group. The winner of this match will clinch a spot in the Round of 32.
Later in the day, Algeria and Jordan will attempt to get their respective World Cup campaigns on track when they square off in Santa Clara, California. If there is a winner in the Argentina-Austria match, the Algeria-Jordan result could clinch the group for that winning side. Conversely, if there is a loser in the Algeria and Jordan match, that squad could be facing knockout round elimination.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Argentina, Austria ranking in World Cup Group J standings
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