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Group J Preview

Argentina find themselves in Group J along with Algeria, Austria, and Jordan, and the South American side are clear favourites to top the group. After securing the World Cup trophy in 2022, Argentina once again are amongst the favourites, although it might not quite be smooth sailing for them in a competitive Group J.

This will be Austria’s first World Cup appearance since 1998, but their high pressing style under Ralf Rangnick saw them top their Euro 2024 group, ahead of France and the Netherlands.

35-year-old Riyad Mahrez is still going strong and will lead his national side into the 2026 World Cup. Algeria have a nice blend of youth talent and experienced campaigners, and they recently made it to the AFCON quarter-finals before being eliminated by Nigeria.

Jordan are the massive underdog in Group J, and this will be their debut appearance at a World Cup tournament - they will hope to prove they are not just there to make up the numbers.

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🇦🇷 Argentina

Lionel Messi is yet to confirm his participation at the 2026 World Cup, with squads still to be officially named, and that remains the main talking point around Argentina. Messi played a key role in the qualifying stages, starting ten games and registering eight goals along with three assists. No Argentina player registered more goal involvements than him. They finished top of the qualifying group by a distance, with a nine-point gap on Ecuador in second.

Argentina have looked in top form in their fixtures building up to the World Cup, and they will hope to defend their title. Since prevailing in 2022, Argentina then went on to lift the Copa America trophy in 2024, after requiring extra time to beat Colombia in the final. There is experience and pedigree in their ranks, particularly in tournament football, and that makes them a strong candidate to make it far in the tournament.

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🇩🇿 Algeria

Mahrez was once again Algeria’s standout performer at AFCON, as he bagged three goals before his side was eliminated in the quarter-finals. After boasting a flawless record of three wins from three in the group stages, Algeria found life more difficult in the knockouts. They were fortunate to edge past DR Congo in extra-time in the round of 16, before being outclassed by Nigeria.

20-year-old Ibrahim Maza played a big role in that tournament, contributing two goals and one assist, and the Bayer Leverkusen man will be one to watch here. There is genuine quality in this Algeria squad, with players such as Rayan Ait-Nouri, Fares Chaibi and Ramy Bensebairi competing at Champions League level. Mohamed Amoura is another talent, and he was particularly effective in the qualifying stages, starting all ten of Algeria's matches and scoring ten goals. His contributions helped Algeria comfortably top their group to secure automatic progression to the World Cup.

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🇦🇹 Austria

Austria were eliminated in the round of 16 at Euro 2024, but reaching that stage in the first place massively exceeded expectations. They topped a difficult group that included France, the Netherlands, and Poland, which few would have predicted prior to the tournament. Ralf Ragnick’s high pressing approach was central to that success, as their intensity made for some open and chaotic contests, which Austria were able to take advantage of. 

Ragnick will have a similar squad at his disposal for the 2026 World Cup, so his aggressive and attack-minded style is likely to remain. Austria were placed in a relatively weak Group H for the World Cup qualifiers, and they were able to secure top spot and automatic qualification to the tournament.

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🇯🇴 Jordan

Jordan are the weakest side in Group J on paper, as they prepare for their debut appearance at the World Cup. However, they showed encouraging signs at the Arab Cup in December, getting all the way to the final before eventually falling to Morocco. Jordan won all three group stage matches, including a notable victory over Egypt, before beating Iraq and Saudi Arabia in the knockout rounds.

Their World Cup qualifying campaign was less convincing, as Jordan finished second to South Korea with a record of four wins, four draws, and two defeats. However, based on their recent performance in the Arab Cup, Jordan showed they can carry a threat, and that will give them confidence to cause a major upset in Group J.

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Team Previews

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The World Cup is the best time to create a new bookmaker account because the Bookmaker Offers are much better. Andy and the Andy's Bet Club experts have tried and tested the Free Bets and here's their favourites:

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* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.

* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.