lionel messi Argentina hopes to be the first repeat world cup Champion for the first time in 60 years.
Group J opponents have their own plans. Algeria and Austria will return for the first time in a while, while Jordan will make its first World Cup appearance in the expanded tournament, which will include 48 countries.
Messi won his second World Cup Pele or Diego Maradona He is the greatest player in soccer history. As of mid-April, Messi had not made a final commitment to play.
La Albiceleste won the final in 2022 PK shootout against France. A men’s team hasn’t won back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1958, led by Pele, and in 1962, when Pele missed most of the tournament due to injury.
Argentina
Argentina, three-time champions and ranked third in the world, will play 28th-placed Algeria in their opening match on June 16, before facing Austria and Jordan in a group likely to smoothly advance to the finals.
La Albiceleste qualified for the World Cup The victory over Brazil was 15 months away as Messi was sidelined with an adductor injury.
Nine members of the starting lineup remain the same as in the World Cup final, with midfielders Thiago Almada and Leandro Paredes replacing Angel Di Maria, who retired from the national team in 2024 after helping Messi and the team win two consecutive Copa Americas.
Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni reacts during the 2026 Soccer World Cup qualifier against Ecuador at Banco Pichincha Stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa, File)
Among these starters, by the World Cup the group will include 38-year-old Nicolas Otamendi, 33-year-old Nicolas Tagliafico and 32-year-old Rodrigo De Paul.
Messi, who turns 39 two days after Argentina’s second leg, could line up for Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo He is the first male player to appear in six World Cups.
Messi already holds the record for most games played (26) and is joint third in terms of goals scored with Juste Fontaine with 13, behind Miroslav Klose (16), Brazil’s Ronaldo (15) and Gerd Muller (14). Messi’s 116 international goals through June are second only to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 143, and he leads the South American qualifiers with eight goals.
Lionel ScaloniHe was appointed Argentina coach in 2018 and hopes to become the second coach to win the World Cup twice, following Vittorio Pozzo, who coached Italy in 1934 and 1938.
algeria
Algeria, two-time African champions, won the title in 1990 and 2019. First World Cup appearance since 2014when they advanced to the second round and were eliminated in extra time by Germany.
Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Africa Cup of Nations Group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosaab Elshamy, File)
Algeria had 8 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw in the qualifying rounds. Former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez The 35-year-old captain is currently second in the country’s all-time scoring list with 38 international goals, behind Islam Slimani’s 45.
Other top players include left-back Rayan Ait Nouri and defender Ramy Bensebaini.
coach Vladimir Petkovic He coached the Swiss national team from 2014 to 2021.
Austria
This will be their 8th World Cup appearance since 1998. Austria is aiming to advance past the first round for the first time since 1982.
Marko Arnautovic turns 37 in April and will likely be the oldest player on the roster. He is Austria’s career leader in goals (47) and appearances (132). Defender captain David Alaba, who will turn 34 during the tournament, is a veteran of more than 120 Champions League appearances and four titles with European clubs.
Marko Arnautovic of Austria applauds during the Cyprus vs. Austria 2026 World Cup Group H qualifying match in Limassol, Cyprus, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Chara Savvidou, File)
Other key players include midfielders Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Reimer.
coach Ralf Rangnick will take office in 2022 After playing for Manchester United, Hoffenheim, Schalke, Stuttgart and Leipzig.
Jordan
Competing in the World Cup for the first time, Jordan has never had much success internationally in soccer. The best result in the Asian Cup was Runner-up in the 2023 edition and the quarterfinals in 2004 and 2011.
Jordanian midfielder Musa Al Ta’amari (top) fights for the ball with Australian midfielder Massimo Luongo during the AFC Asian Cup Soccer Group B match between Australia and Jordan at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, on Sunday, January 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)
Moussa Al Tamari, who has 24 international goals, plays for Rennes in France and is one of the few Jordanians to play for a European club. Another attacker, Ibrahim Sabra, plays for Lokomotiva Zagreb in Croatia.
Former Morocco midfielder Jamal Selami will be Jordan’s coach in 2024.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
