As Lionel Messi is a global icon, defending World Cup and likely playing his final World Cup in 2026 — all eyes will be on Argentina as the favorite in the World Cup 2026 Group J.
Alongside Argentina are Austria, Algeria, and Jordan, which will be fighting for a chance to advance beyond the group stage of the tournament and into the 32-team knockout.
To prepare you for the World Cup 2026 group stage, we’ll break down all four teams in World Cup Group J, making our Group J predictions, and highlight the teams that have the best shot to advance.
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World Cup 2026 Group J Teams, Favorites to Win
Here are the teams in Group J at the FIFA World Cup, along with the payouts for each team to win and qualify from the group into the Knockout Stage:
- Argentina
- Austria
- Algeria
- Jordan
In Group J, Argentina, Austria, Algeria are all favored to advance to the 32-team knockout stage bracket. The top two teams from every World Cup group and the top eight third-place teams across all groups will advance in the World Cup knockout stage.
The payouts below indicate real-money earnings if a prediction is correct on PrizePicks Team Picks; for example, a 2x on a $100 entry pays out $200.
The lower the payout multiplier, the higher the chance of the outcome occurring, according to user picks. Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
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2026 World Cup Group J Winner Payouts, Favorites
Here are the payouts for each team to win Group J, per PrizePicks Team Picks. Argentina are a decent-sized favorite to win the group; Austria is expected to finish second; and Algeria and Jordan are desperate for any results to advance.
- Argentina: Yes 1.33x | No 3.12x
- Austria: Yes 4.54x | No 1.17x
- Algeria: Yes 7.14x | No 1.07x
- Jordan: Yes 33.33x | No N/A
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2026 World Cup Group J to Qualify Payouts
Here are the payouts for each team to advance to the knockout stage in World Cup Group J. Once again, Argentina are the clear favorite to qualify, followed by Austria, Algeria, and Jordan.
- Argentina: Yes 1,01x | No 14.28x
- Austria: Yes 1.19x | No 3.84x
- Algeria: Yes 1.33x | No 2.63x
- Jordan: Yes 4.34x | No 1.17x
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2026 World Cup Group J Winner Prediction: Argentina
Argentina to win Group J: Yes 1.33x | No 3.12x
Argentina to Win 2026 World Cup: Yes 8.33x | No 1.06x
As the reigning World Cup champs, Argentina are primed for another deep run in this year’s tournament. While Messi has been dealing with a hamstring injury he suffered at Inter Miami, he’s been training with the team ahead of the World Cup, and he’s expected to be fully fit for their World Cup opener vs. Algeria on June 16.
Along with Messi, Argentina is loaded with talent, deploying the likes of F Julian Alvarez, F Lautaro Martinez, F Nico Paz, and MF Enzo Fernandez.
This group of players helped Argentina place first in the CONMEBOL standings to qualify for the 2026 World Cup by tallying a 12-2-4 record and outscoring their opponents by 21.
Manager Lionel Scaloni is no stranger to leading his side to trophies, aiding Argentina to a 2021 Copa America, 2022 World Cup, and 2024 Copa America victory. Argentina is looking to become just the third nation in history to win back-to-back World Cups, with Brazil being the last one to do it in 1962.
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Austria – World Cup 2026 Group J Prediction, Preview
Austria to win Group J: Yes 4.54x | No 1.17x
Austria o qualify for Knockout Stage: Yes 1.19x | No 3.84x
While Argentina has a bevy of attacking options, Austria is going to lean on their defensive pressure in hopes it can lead to results at the World Cup.
This will be the first World Cup for Austria since 1998, and they’ve failed to make it out of the group stage since 1982. Nevertheless, they finished with a 6-1-1 record in World Cup qualifying, finishing ahead of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are in Group B of the 2026 World Cup.
Although it’ll be tough beating out Argentina for the No. 1 spot in Group J, Austria has enough firepower to advance instead of Algeria and Jordan. At the same time, things become a lot more difficult for Austria with MF Christoph Baumgartner ruled out for the World Cup.
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Algeria – World Cup 2026 Group J Prediction, Preview
Algeria to win Group J: Yes 7.14x | No 1.07x
Algeria to qualify for Knockout Stage: Yes 1.33x | No 2.63x
One of the teams looking to take advantage of Baumgartner’s absence for Austria is Algeria. Algeria is making their first World Cup appearance since 2014, which is when they turned heads by advancing to the round of 16.
The qualification process was smooth for Algeria, as they finished with an 8-1-1 record in the CAF (Confederation of African Football) Group G, defeating their opponents by a combined score of 24-8. That being said, earning a spot in the knockout stage will be easier said than done for Algeria.
Manager Vladimir Petkovic witnessed his side exit at the AFCON earlier this season, so a third-place finish where Algeria is one of the top eight third-place squads might be his best bet to avoid being sacked.
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Jordan – World Cup Group J Prediction, Preview
Jordan to win Group J: Yes 33.33x | No N/A
Jordan to qualify for Knockout Stage: Yes 4.34x | No 1.17x
It’s undoubtedly going to be a massive mountain to climb for Jordan to make a single peep out of Group J. Jordan are making their World Cup debut, and manager Jamal Sellami has only been coaching the national team since 2024.
Qualifying for the World Cup wasn’t an unblemished campaign for Jordan, who went 8-5-3 in the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) qualifiers. Similar to Austria, Jordan is going to rely on their defensive pressure to generate offense.
There are plenty of teams that are going to try making the most of their time at the World Cup, and while it’d be quite the story for Jordan to advance, it’s going to be a challenge to earn any results in Group J.
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Make World Cup Group J Predictions on PrizePicks
Argentina are unquestionably the front-runner in Group J, and they’ll be looking to defend their crown as World Cup champs. Will any of Austria, Algeria, or Jordan put up a fight against Argentina?
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Stick around with the Playbook for continued World Cup predictions, picks, and analysis through the end of the tournament.
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