FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J Preview: Messi's Argentina Prime For GOAT's WC Defence

Published 10 June 2026 · sports

FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J Preview: Messi's Argentina Prime For GOAT's WC Defence Published By, Last Updated: June 10, 2026, 08:00 IST Defending World

FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J Preview: Messi's Argentina Prime For GOAT's WC Defence Published By, Last Updated: June 10, 2026, 08:00 IST Defending World Champions Argentina begin their title defence Algeria, Austria and Jordan in Group J as Lionel Messi and co. look to defend the glittery trophy. Argentina. (AFP Photo) FIFA World Cup holders Argentina begin their title defence in the USA, Mexico and Canada in Group J against Algeria, Austria and Jordan as Lionel Messi looks to play out a Swanson farewell to his beloved Albiceleste. The sheer eyeballs glued to the fortunes of the Group J could arguably leave every other groups’ engagement rates in the dust as Lionel Scaloni’s Argentine unit, who conquered the world in 2022, go in search of a special feat. Argentina Argentine superstar Lionel Messi enjoyed his crowning moment at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar by leading the Albiceleste to a decisive victory over France, securing their third world title. The dramatic final finished 3-3 after extra time, forcing a penalty shoot-out to decide the champion. The eight-time Ballo d’Or winner will look to defend his title in the USA, Canada and Mexico, slated to begin in June. The South American heavyweights would face resistance from quality European giants including the likes of the star-studded France and the synchronous Spain. Messi scored twice and Angel Di Maria added another for Argentina, while Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick for France turned the final into a breathtaking spectacle. Argentina’s campaign started with a shock 1-2 defeat to Saudi Arabia, but they recovered with 2-0 wins over both Mexico and Poland to reach the knockout stages.

They then beat Australia 2-1 in the Round of 16, edged the Netherlands 4-3 in a thrilling quarterfinal, and overpowered Croatia 3-0 in the semifinal before finally lifting the trophy after the exhilarating final. France, the defending champions, fought valiantly against the Albiceleste, but Messi ultimately carried Argentina over the line, cementing his place in World Cup history. Full squad Emiliano Martínez, Gerónimo Rulli, Juan Musso, Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Otamendi, Leonardo Balerdi, Cristian Romero, Facundo Medina, Nicolás Tagliafico, Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Exequiel Palacios, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, Giovani Lo Celso, Valentín Barco, Lionel Messi, Nico Paz, Thiago Almada, Nicolás González, Giuliano Simeone, Lautaro Martínez, Jose Manuel López, Julián Álvarez Manager: Lionel Scaloni Algeria The African giants, who boast some familiar names including Riyadh Mahrez, Rayan Ait Nouri, and of course, the legendary Zinedine Zidane’s son Luca, will be present between the sticks for Les Fennecs at the quadrennial showpiece. The Desert Warriors made it to the Round of 16, during the 2014 edition of the tournament in Brazil and will look to go one better, if not more, at the upcoming iteration of the showpiece. Full squad Oussama Benbot, Melvin Masstil, Luca Zidane, Achraf Abada, Rayan Ait Nouri, Zinedine Belaid, Rafik Belghali, Ramy Bensebaini, Samir Chergui, Jaouen Hadjam, Aissa Mandi, Mohamed Amine Tougai, Houssem Aouar, Nabil Bentaleb, Hicham Boudaoui, Fares Chaibi, Ibrahim Maza, Yassine Titraoui, Ramiz Zerrouki, Mohamed Amine Amoura, Nadir Benbouali, Adil Boulbina, Fares Ghedjemis, Amine Gouiri, Riyad Mahrez, Anis Hadj Moussa Manager: Vladimir Petkovic Austria Austria, who have a storied legacy in the sport, with a third-place finish at the 1954 World Cup, seemed to have attrition for a while at the international tournament and have been ousted from the group stages in their past three outings.