Heres Argentinas path to repeat its World Cup victory in 2026

The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11, and Argentina will begin its quest to defend its title on June 16 at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas. They’ll face Algeria in Group J, alongside Austria and Jordan. While Argentina’s group stage rivals have been decided, the team’s route to repeating its Qatar 2022 conquest is still filled with incognitos.  What is the World Cup 2026 tournament format? The tournament will use a new format: there are now 48 teams, instead of 32, and they are split into 12 groups of four. After a round of all-vs-all matchups, the top two from each group and the best eight third-placed teams go to the knockout stage. Argentina is heading into the tournament under the guidance of head coach Lionel Scaloni. It is on Pathway 2, a system set up by FIFA to balance out the competition and ensure top-ranked nations won’t match up in the early stages.  So, if they all win their respective groups, Argentina and Spain can’t match up before the final. Nor can they face England and France, respectively, before the semis. Who’s playing in the World Cup? Some of the teams participating have not been decided yet. Four European nation playoffs and two international ones in the last week of March 2026 will decide the last six countries to enter.  Teams qualifying through the playoffs are usually underdogs in the competition. Yet, this year’s playoffs involve some heavy hitters. World Cup regulars like Italy, Sweden, Denmark and Turkey could access the competition, but so could up-and-coming nations like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, and Bolivia. What’s Argentina’s most likely path? Assuming the favorites win and there are no major upsets — a big if for any World Cup — the Albiceleste’s path will be tricky. Qualifying first from Group J, its first matchup in the knockout stage is set to be against the second-placed team in Group H, likely a brotherly clash with Uruguay.  The Celeste, as our neighbors are known, was matched up against Spain, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. With Spain a heavy favorite for the title and long odds on the other two, Uruguay is likely to come second. For the round of 16, things are less clear. Argentina will play the winner of the clash between the second-placed teams in groups D and G, two of the most competitive draws. Potential matchups include Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Belgium, and even a tough duel against hosts the United States. In the quarterfinals, fans could be treated to a long-awaited Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo World Cup matchup. Portugal is the overwhelming favorite in Group K. If the Lusos fail, a rematch of the 2024 Copa América against Colombia and a revival of the 1990 semis against Italy are the other big possibilities. There’ll be little time for celebrations, with England or Brazil waiting on the other side. The path for the Three Lions looks fairly open, matching up against the third-placed team in groups E, H, I, J or K — likely Norway or Ivory Coast — and then Denmark, South Korea or Scotland.  The Verdeamarelha has a tougher start, likely facing Japan or the Netherlands in the round of 32 and then Ecuador, Senegal, or Germany.  After that, Argentina would probably then face Spain or France for a shot at a historic fourth World Cup win. It would make Argentina the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the title. What if Argentina loses Group J? The chances of a title if the Albiceleste fails to secure the top spot in its group look slimmer. Argentina would likely face Spain if it finishes second, although potential matchups against Colombia, the US or Belgium after that open up the road.Qualifying as a third-placed nation would put the Albiceleste on the path of England or Portugal, making for a tough set of early rounds.