The focus switches to Groups I and J at the World Cup 2026 on day 12, with the 2022 finalists both in action.
Holders Argentina, fresh off their Lionel Messi inspired 3-0 win over Algeria, face Austria in Arlington at 6pm (all times UK) on Monday evening, with Messi chasing even more World Cup history.
2022 runners-up France look to build on their opening win when they face Iraq in Philadelphia at 10pm.
Erling Haaland’s Norway do battle with Senegal at 1am on Tuesday morning, before we round things off with Jordan against Algeria at 4am.
Here are the best of the World Cup 2026 stats heading into day 12.
World Cup 2026 stats you might see on Day 12
Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets with Bet365
Not signed up to bet365 yet? Here's how to claim one of the best bookmaker welcome offers around...
- Open an account (here's a link)
- Make a qualifying deposit of between £5* and £10*
- Claim the offer to receive three times your deposit in 'Free Bets'.
- To release your 'Free Bets', place qualifying bets to the value of your qualifying deposit and allow those bets to settle.
- Your 'Free Bets' will become available shortly after your qualifying bets have settled
- To use your 'Free Bets', select 'Use bet credits' in the bet slip.
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.
Argentina vs Austria
- Argentina key stat: Lionel Messi needs one more goal to become the new outright top goalscorer in World Cup history (currently level on 16 with Miroslav Klose) & if Argentina win he will also surpass Klose as the player with the most match wins (18).
- Austria key stat: Das Team are on the hunt for their 11th win in their last 13 games.
Lionel Messi, on his 200th cap, scored a sensational hat-trick to give defending champions Argentina a 3-0 win over Algeria in their opening game, which was their eighth win on the spin.
The goals drew Messi level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the joint all-time goalscorers in World Cup history (both on 16), a record he can now make his own outright by scoring against Austria.
Not content with eclipsing Klose’s goals record, a win for Argentina would also see Messi set a new record of 18 matches won as a player, surpassing Klose’s tally of 17.
A goal would also see Messi become only the third player, after Just Fontaine (France) and Jairzinho (Brazil), to score in six successive World Cup games.
One final stat on Messi, he still needs only one more assist to become the outright assist leader in World Cup history (currently tied on eight with Diego Maradona.
Austria are widely regarded as Argentina’s toughest challengers for top spot in Group J. Ralf Rangnick’s side beat Jordan 3-1 in their first game, which was their tenth win in their last 12 games, and first victory in a World Cup in 36 years. As a result, they are now seeking back-to-back World Cup wins for the first time since 1982.
Marko Arnautovic extended his record as Austria’s all-time top scorer to 48 goals. The striker’s goal came from the penalty spot, which was his country’s seventh set-piece goal in their last 10 at World Cup games.
France vs Iraq
- France key stat: Didier Deschamps can equal Helmut Schön’s World Cup record of 16 wins as a manager, while Kylian Mbappe is just two goals off the all-time World Cup scorer record.
- Iraq key stat: If Iraq lose they will have lost all five of their World Cup matches, the joint- second worst losing record behind El Salvador (six defeats in six).
Hot on Messi’s heels is Kylian Mbappe, who scored a brace in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal, which not only made him France’s all-time goalscorer (58 goals), but fired him level with Germany’s Gerd Muller (14 goals) to joint fourth in the all-time World Cup goalscorers charts, meaning he’s now just one behind Brazilian Ronaldo (15), and two off Messi and Klose (16).
In the process, Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps claimed his 15th World Cup win, meaning he now just needs one more victory to draw level with Helmut Schön’s World Cup record of 16 match wins.
As for Iraq, the 40-year wait for another World Cup appearance didn’t go to plan as they were beaten 4-1 by Norway, meaning they’ve lost all four matches they’ve played at the tournament.
The Lions of Mesopotamia’s wait for a first point is likely to stretch on against giants France, and a fifth straight defeat would leave the country behind only El Salvador (six defeats in six) among teams who have lost every single game at a World Cup.
Norway vs Senegal
- Norway key stat: Erling Haaland, who has scored in his last 11 competitive games for his country, needs one more goal to become Norway’s all-time leading World Cup scorer, which he would achieve in just two games.
- Senegal key stat: Senegal (five wins) could equal the record for most World Cup wins by an African country, which is six by Morocco, Ghana, and Nigeria.
Erling Haaland scored a brace on his World Cup debut to help inspire Norway to a 4-1 victory over Iraq, which was their first win at the tournament in 28 years. They now have the chance to win multiple matches at a World Cup for the first time ever when they take on Senegal.
Haaland, who has 57 goals in 51 games for his country, has scored in his last 11 competitive international games (scoring 22 goals during that time) and is already Norway’s joint all-time leading scorer at the World Cup, level on two goals with Kjetil Rekdal, a record he can make his own with another goal against Senegal. This would remarkably be achieved after just two appearances at the tournament.
Senegal (five wins) head into their next clash against Norway looking to equal the record for most World Cup wins by an African country, which is six by Morocco, Ghana, and Nigeria.
Yet, the Lions of Teranga could concede in their 13th straight World Cup match, having failed to keep a clean sheet since their first ever World Cup game back in 2002 when they stunned holders France.
Jordan vs Algeria
- Jordan key stat: The Chivalrous Ones have yet to win a game in 2026 and another failure to do so would stretch their winless run to seven games.
- Algeria key stat: Could lose their opening two matches at a World Cup for the first time.
Jordan lost 3-1 to Austria on their World Cup debut, but Ali Olwan did at least make history by scoring his country’s first World Cup goal, and his eighth in his last 10 games.
The Chivalrous Ones can draw confidence from pushing Austria hard and, if they are going to pick up points, the Algeria game is arguably their best bet given they face holders Argentina afterwards.
However, they head into the game on the back of three straight defeats and they are still without a win in 2026, a run that stretches to six matches since December.
Algeria’s 3-0 defeat to Argentina means they have now lost eight of their 14 World Cup matches, winning only three.
The Fennecs, who have never previously lost both of their opening two matches at a World Cup, are still searching for their first World Cup win since beating South Korea 4-2 back in 2014 – if they beat Jordan it would be only their second win since 1982.
Read more:
