Argentina will look to defend their World Cup crown when they take on Algeria, Austria and Jordan in Group J.
La Selección are the overwhelming favourites to win Group J, with European opponents, Austria well behind them in the betting market. African nation, Algeria and AFC qualifiers, Jordan round out the group.
World Cup 2026 Group J outright odds
Get the latest odds for each team to win Group J below:
Argentina Group J odds
Argentina come into the World Cup with the weight of expectation on them following their victory in 2022. There haven’t been back to back winners since 1962, when Brazil lifted their second of five World Cups, meaning history isn’t on Argentina’s side in North America.
That was the third time that the South American nation had been crowned world champions, following their victories in 1978 and 1986, and they come into the 2026 tournament with a strong looking squad and plenty of momentum after dominating the CONMEBOL qualifying campaign.
It’s hard to look past the talent that Argentina have at their disposal, with Lionel Messi naturally attracting the eye. He isn’t the only dangerman, though, with Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez both capable of being matchwinners, while there is depth in the form of Nico Gonzalez and Paulo Dybala.
The Argentine midfield looks very settled, with their three central players looking to be the same trio that started the final in 2022. Crucially, they are still all in their prime, with Rodrigo De Paul (31), Enzo Fernandez (25) and Alexis Mac Allister (27) being at their top of their game even four years after their historic victory against France.
The one area of the squad that could, potentially, let them down is the defence. Centrally, there is plenty of top level experience, in Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero, but it’s an ageing backline and one that could be tested by the elite sides this summer. Emi Martinez is still a top level goalkeeper but there isn’t much quality beyond him, which could pose problems if he picks up an injury.
Austria Group J odds
This is, surprisingly, the first time Austria have qualified for the World Cup since 1998. In the modern era they’ve failed to make it out of the group stages but they have finish as well as third in history, with a semi-final appearance in 1954. They qualified this time around in some style, topping their qualifying group and only dropping five points along the way.
Their squad, whilst by no means the weakest in the competition, looks to be lacking real quality throughout and they may have to rely on their excellent team spirit if they wish to make a deep run in the competition. They are second favourites to win Group J but a result over Argentina will be pivotal.
Algeria Group J odds
Algeria’s appearances at the World Cup have been sparring over the years, with them making the tournament just twice in the nine competitions since 1990. In 2014 they made the Round of 16, where they took Germany all the way to extra time before being beaten by the eventual winners. That remains the African nations best finish at the World Cup.
Algeria made relatively light work of their qualifying group, topping Group G in CAF qualification ahead of the likes of Uganda and Mozambique. There are flashes of real quality in the Algeria squad, not least from captain Riyad Mahrez, but it will take a monumental effort for Algeria to come out on top of Group J.
Jordan Group J odds
This will be the first appearance at the World Cup finals for Jordan, with the Asian nation making their debut at the 11th time of asking. They reached this point after finishing second in their AFC qualifying group, finishing just a single point ahead of Iraq but six points behind group winners, South Korea.
There won’t be many familiar names within the Jordan squad, with almost all of their players plying their trade within the Jordanian Pro League and a handful playing for other clubs within the Middle East or North Africa. The only player currently playing in a major European league who might be in contention is Musa Al-Taamari, who is signed to Rennes in Ligue 1.
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World Cup 2026 Group J fixtures and results
Here are the fixtures for Group J at the 2026 World Cup.
World Cup 2026 Group J table
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