Argentina to play Austria, Algeria, and Jordan in 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage

Argentines worldwide released a collective sigh of relief as Argentina dodged a potential “death group” in the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw, landing in Group J together with Austria, Algeria, and Jordan. While the Austrians are not top-tier competition, they are always a tough out. The prospect of sharing the group with them and dark horses like Croatia or Egypt, two teams that could have potentially been drawn to Argentina’s group, would have made for a much harder initial outing. While Argentina got lucky with the draw, it missed out on the chance of spearheading Group H. This would have been an element of additional support, as those games will be played mostly in Miami, Florida, where a large Argentine diaspora regularly follows Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. The defending champions Albiceleste will start their repeat quest on June 16 against Algeria at either Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, or Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara. The draw took place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., United States. Model and TV host Heidi Klum and actor Kevin Hart hosted the ceremony, with musical shows by tenor Andrea Bocelli, singers Robbie Williams with Nicole Scherzinger, and Lauryn Hill. Trump at center stage The ceremony started with the awarding of the FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump. The newfangled accolade is said to “recognize exceptional actions for peace.” “We see images of war all over the world. And we suffer for every child that cries,” FIFA President Giani Infantino said during the awarding. “We want to see hope; we want to see a future. I was lucky to see an agreement in the Middle East with you.” For his part, Trump promised “an event [we] have never seen before.” Standing alongside Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (leaders of the other two organizing countries), the U.S. president drew the three home nations as the seeded teams in groups D, A, and B, respectively.  “[The US has] to come up with another name for what we now call ‘soccer’, we should call it football,” added Trump before the selection. The draw Former England international Rio Ferdinand and U.S. star Samantha Johnson hosted the draw, with former superstars from other sports also on stage. Wayne Gretzky (ice hockey), Aaron Judge (baseball), Tom Brady (American football), and Shaquille O’Neal (basketball) were the ones in charge of drawing the countries from the pots. Teams were selected from four pots of 12, split according to their November 2025 FIFA Ranking positions. The hosts and the top teams were in pot 1, while the second and third best 12 were in pots 2 and 3. The last set of teams were in pot 4, together with nine place holders for the teams that will secure their spot through the playoffs. Each group at the tournament will be made up of one nation from Pot 1, 2, 3, and 4. The draw is completely random, but there are rules. For instance, no two teams from the same confederation can be drawn against one another, except for European teams, on account of them being the majority. Additionally, the top two FIFA-ranked teams, Argentina and Spain, were placed so they can only meet in the final, while the third- and fourth-ranked teams, England and France, can only meet them in the semifinal, provided all win their respective groups. The 2026 World Cup is set to take place between June 11 and July 19 next year in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The tournament will inaugurate a new format after the last seven championships, moving from 32 to 48 participating teams, split into 12 groups of four teams each. A total of 104 matches will be played over 38 days. The final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.  The opening game will kick off on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium. The historic venue will become the first to host three World Cups, as it did in 1970 and 1986. The Messi question For Argentina, the status of Messi is the topic on everybody’s mind. The Inter Miami superstar has been hesitant to confirm he will play the tournament. Chances seem to have gone up in recent months, however, as it became increasingly clear he’d arrive at the set date still a competitive player.  Head coach Lionel Scaloni has often insisted that he’ll allow Messi to retire from the national team on his own terms, meaning he’s unlikely to be dropped unless he decides not to attend or is injured. The Argentine national team captain wasn’t at the ceremony, as he was preparing for the MLS Cup final. Inter Miami will go up against the Vancouver Whitecaps this Saturday at 4.30 p.m. Argentina time. With the Albiceleste looking to become only the first team to repeat as World Cup winners since Brazil in 1962, France seeking to avenge the Qatar 2022 final, and Spain chasing their second title behind 19-year-old Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, the table is set for a thrilling tournament.