2026 FIFA World Cup: Argentina faces Austria, France meets Iraq
The second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage continues with four fixtures: Argentina faces Austria, France takes on Iraq, Norway meets Senegal and Jordan plays Algeria.
The main attraction of the day is the race for top spot in Groups I and J. Argentina and Austria started the tournament with victories, so their meeting could define the main favorite in Group J. In Group I, France and Norway are in a similar situation, as both sides won their opening matches, while Iraq and Senegal cannot afford another defeat.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Group J, Round 2, June 22, Texas, AT&T Stadium
Argentina vs. Austria W0 D1 L0
Coaches: Lionel Scaloni / Ralf Rangnick (Germany)
Referee: Amin Omar (Egypt)
Argentina began its title defense with a confident 3-0 victory over Algeria. The star of the match was Lionel Messi, who scored a hat-trick and equaled Miroslav Klose’s World Cup goal record.
Austria also made a successful start, beating Jordan 3-1. Ralf Rangnick’s team will now face a significantly tougher test against the reigning world champions.
A victory for Argentina would put them in a strong position heading into the final round. Austria, meanwhile, would see a draw as a solid result, as it would keep the team in the race for top spot and give it a healthy margin ahead of the clash with Algeria.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Group I, Round 2, June 22, Philadelphia, Lincoln Financial Field
France vs. Iraq (first meeting)
Coaches: Didier Deschamps / Graham Arnold (Australia)
Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)
France is approaching the second round as an obvious favorite. In the opening match, Didier Deschamps’s side edged Senegal 3-1, with Kylian Mbappé scoring a brace and becoming the top scorer in the history of France’s national team.
Iraq, on the other hand, started the tournament with a 1-4 defeat to Norway. The team showed it could create chances but made too many defensive mistakes and struggled to keep up with the opponent’s pace.
The match against France will be a major test for Iraq. Another defeat would almost eliminate its chances of progressing from the group. France, meanwhile, would secure a place in the knockout stage with a victory.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Group I, Round 2, June 22, East Rutherford, MetLife Stadium
Norway vs. Senegal W0 D0 L1
Coaches: Ståle Solbakken / Pape Thiaw
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (Brazil)
Norway made a bright return to the World Cup after a long absence. In its opening match, it beat Iraq 4-1. Erling Haaland scored a brace on his World Cup debut.
Senegal started the tournament with a 1-3 defeat to France, but the score doesn’t fully reflect the flow of the match. The national team stayed competitive for a long time and created problems for the French defense, but eventually gave in to pressure towards the end.
Victory for Norway will secure qualification from the group. Senegal, on the other hand, must get hold of points. In the event of a second loss, Senegal will find itself in a very complicated situation ahead of the closing match against Iraq.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Group J, Round 2, June 22, Santa Clara, Levi’s Stadium
Jordan vs. Algeria W0 D1 L0
Coaches: Jamal Sellami (Morocco) / Vladimir Petković (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Referee: Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia)
Jordan and Algeria head into their meeting without points. Jordan was beaten 1-3 by Austria in the opening round, while Algeria suffered a 0-3 defeat to Argentina, with Messi scoring a hat-trick.
It is crucial for both sides to win this match. Vladimir Petković’s team cannot afford a second defeat, especially ahead of the final match against Austria. Algeria’s coach has said that the team’s fate is in its own hands.
Jordan is playing at its first World Cup and still has a chance to reach the knockout stage. However, to do so, the team must be more solid defensively and more effective on the counterattack. A defeat in this fixture would almost certainly leave one of the teams on the brink of elimination.
