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Group J: Three-time champions Argentina face Algeria, Austria & Jordan in title defense challenge

For Algeria and Austria, the tournament marks a long-awaited return to football's biggest stage, while Jordan will make its historic World Cup debut after qualifying for the first time.

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Group J: Three-time champions Argentina face Algeria, Austria & Jordan in title defense challenge

KATHMANDU: As Lionel Messi and Argentina head to North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, they will pursue a golden objective — becoming the first team in six decades to successfully defend the World Cup title.

In the tournament’s 96-year history, only two nations have won consecutive World Cups. Italy achieved the feat in 1934 and 1938, while Brazil repeated as champions in 1958 and 1962. Since then, no team has managed to retain the trophy.

Argentina, the reigning champions, enter Group J alongside Algeria, Austria and Jordan, each carrying their own ambitions into the expanded 48-team tournament.

For Algeria and Austria, the tournament marks a long-awaited return to football’s biggest stage, while Jordan will make its historic World Cup debut after qualifying for the first time.

Messi’s Final World Cup?

A second World Cup title would further elevate Lionel Messi’s status alongside football legends such as Pelé and Diego Maradona.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner guided Argentina to their third world title in Qatar in 2022. Until April this year, Messi had not fully committed to playing at the 2026 World Cup, but he has now confirmed his availability and is expected to feature in what could be his final appearance on football’s grandest stage.

Ranked third in the FIFA rankings, three-time world champions Argentina will begin their title defense against 28th-ranked Algeria on June 16 before facing Austria and Jordan in the group stage.

Argentina are widely expected to progress comfortably from the group, with many observers believing none of their opponents possess the quality to halt Lionel Scaloni’s side.

Argentina secured qualification 15 months ago after defeating Brazil in a World Cup qualifier despite Messi’s absence through injury.

Nine players from the squad that reached the 2022 World Cup final remain in the current team. While Ángel Di María and Messi initially retired from international football after winning a second consecutive Copa América title in 2024, Messi has since reversed his decision and returned to the national team.

Veteran defender Nicolás Otamendi is now 38, while Nicolás Tagliafico is 33 and Rodrigo De Paul 32.

Messi, who turns 39 two days after Argentina’s second group match, will become one of the few players in history to appear in six World Cups, alongside Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

He already holds the World Cup record for most appearances with 26 matches and is joint-fourth on the tournament’s all-time scoring list with 13 goals, level with France’s Just Fontaine. Germany’s Miroslav Klose leads with 16 goals, followed by Brazil’s Ronaldo (15) and Germany’s Gerd Müller (14).

At international level, Messi’s 116 goals place him second only to Ronaldo’s 143. He also finished as the leading scorer in South American qualifying with eight goals.

Scaloni, who has led Argentina since 2018, is aiming to become only the second coach to win back-to-back World Cups, following Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo, who achieved the feat in 1934 and 1938.

Argentina Squad

Goalkeepers:

Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa)
Juan Musso (Atlético Madrid)
Gerónimo Rulli (Marseille)

Defenders:

Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille)
Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United)
Facundo Medina (Marseille)
Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid)
Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate)
Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica)
Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)
Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon)

Midfielders:

Valentín Barco (Strasbourg)
Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami)
Enzo Fernández (Chelsea)
Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis)
Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors)

Forwards:

Thiago Almada (Atlético Madrid)
Julián Álvarez (Atlético Madrid)
Nicolás González (Atlético Madrid)
José Manuel López (Palmeiras)
Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
Nicolás Paz (Como)
Giuliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid)

Head Coach:

Lionel Scaloni

Algeria Back After 12-Year Absence

Two-time Africa Cup of Nations champions Algeria have qualified for their first World Cup since 2014.

Their most memorable World Cup campaign came in Brazil in 2014, when they reached the Round of 16 before pushing eventual champions Germany to extra time.

Algeria impressed during African qualifying, winning eight matches, drawing one and losing one.

Former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez, now 35, captains the team and remains one of its key figures. With 38 international goals, he trails only Islam Slimani (45) among Algeria’s all-time scorers.

Alongside Mahrez, Manchester City’s Rayan Aït-Nouri and Borussia Dortmund defender Ramy Bensebaini will be central to Algeria’s hopes of causing an upset in a group dominated by Argentina.

Former Switzerland coach Vladimir Petković will lead Algeria at the World Cup.

Algeria Squad

Goalkeepers: Luca Zidane (Granada), Oussama Benbot (USM Alger), Melvin Mistryl (Stade Nyonnais)
Defenders: Aïssa Mandi (Lille), Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund), Mohamed Amine Tougai (ES Tunis), Rayan Aït-Nouri (Manchester City), Zoubir Hadjjam (Young Boys), Rafik Belghali (Hellas Verona), Zinedine Belaïd (JS Kabylie), Achref Abada (USM Alger), Samir Chergui (Paris FC)
Midfielders: Nabil Bentaleb (Lille), Ramiz Zerrouki (Twente), Hicham Boudaoui (Nice), Farès Chaïbi (Eintracht Frankfurt), Houssem Aouar (Al Ittihad), Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen), Yassine Titraoui (Charleroi)
Forwards: Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli), Mohamed Amoura (VfL Wolfsburg), Amine Gouiri (Marseille), Anis Hadj Moussa (Feyenoord), Adel Boulbina (Al Duhail), Nadir Benbouali (Geor), Farès Ghedjemis (Frosinone)
Coach: Vladimir Petković

Austria Returns After Nearly Three Decades

Austria will make its eighth World Cup appearance overall but its first since 1998.

The Austrians hope to at least match their achievement from 1982, when they advanced beyond the group stage.

Veteran striker Marko Arnautović, 37, is Austria’s all-time leading international scorer with 47 goals in 132 appearances.

Captain David Alaba, who will turn 34 during the tournament, brings vast experience, including more than 120 UEFA Champions League appearances and four European titles.

Midfielders Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer are also expected to play crucial roles for coach Ralf Rangnick, who took charge of Austria in 2022 after managerial spells with Manchester United, RB Leipzig, Schalke, Hoffenheim and Stuttgart.

Austria Squad

Goalkeepers: Alexander Schlager (Red Bull Salzburg), Florian Wiegeles (Viktoria Plzen), Patrick Pentz (Brøndby)
Defenders: David Affengruber (Elche), Kevin Danso (Tottenham), Stefan Posch (Como), David Alaba (Real Madrid), Philipp Lienhart (Freiburg), Philipp Mwene (Mainz), Alexander Prass (Hoffenheim), Marco Friedl (Werder Bremen), Michael Svoboda (Venezia)
Midfielders: Xaver Schlager (RB Leipzig), Nicolas Seiwald (RB Leipzig), Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund), Florian Grillitsch (Braga), Carney Chukwuemeka (Borussia Dortmund), Romano Schmid (Werder Bremen), Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich), Patrick Wimmer (VfL Wolfsburg), Paul Wanner (PSV Eindhoven), Alessandro Schöpf (Wolfsberger)
Forwards: Marko Arnautović (Red Star Belgrade), Michael Gregoritsch (Brøndby), Saša Kalajdžić (Wolfsburg)
Coach: Ralf Rangnick

Jordan Ready for Historic Debut

Jordan will participate in the World Cup for the first time in its history.

The nation’s greatest football achievement remains its runner-up finish at the AFC Asian Cup three years ago, while quarter-final appearances in 2004 and 2011 are also fondly remembered by supporters.

Jordan’s biggest star is Mousa Al-Tamari, who has scored 24 international goals and plays professionally for French club Rennes.

Forward Ibrahim Sadeh, who plays for Croatian side Lokomotiva Zagreb, is another player expected to shoulder the country’s hopes.

Jordan will be coached by former Morocco midfielder Jamal Sellami, who took charge of the national team in 2024.

Jordan Squad

Goalkeepers: Yazeed Abu Laila (Al Hussein), Abdullah Al-Fakhouri (Al Wehdat), Naur Bani Atiyah (Al Faisaly)
Defenders: Ihsan Haddad (Al Hussein), Yazan Al-Arab (FC Seoul), Abdullah Nasib (Al Jazeera), Mohammed Abu Hasheesh (Al Karma), Saeed Al-Sosan (Al Hussein), Hussam Abu Dahab (Al Faisaly), Mo Abu Alnadi (Selangor), Salim Obeid (Al Hussein), Anas Bawadi (Al Faisaly)
Midfielders: Rajai Ayed (Al Hussein), Noor Al-Rawabdeh (Selangor), Ibrahim Saadeh (Al Karma), Nizar Al-Rashdan (Qatar SC), Mohannad Abu Taha (Al Quwa Al Jawiya), Amer Jamous (Al Jazeera), Mohammed Al-Dawoud (Al Wehdat)
Forwards: Musa Al-Taamari (Rennes), Mahmoud Al-Mardi (Al Hussein), Ali Olwan (Al Sailiya), Mohammad Abu Zrayq (Raja Casablanca), Odeh Al-Fakhouri (Pyramids), Ibrahim Sabra (Lokomotiva Zagreb), Ali Ejaje (Al Shabab)
Coach: Jamal Sellami