World Cup 2026: Argentina face Austria in Group J

On Monday, 22 June, Argentina takes on Austria in the second round of Group J at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Arlington, USA. The game is being commentated by ERR sports journalist Alexei Margiev and football expert Andrei Brytkin. The other Group J match on 23 June will see Jordan face Algeria.

Argentina began their title defense with a convincing 3–0 victory over Algeria, with Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick. Messi turns 39 on 24 June and is playing in his sixth World Cup. He has equalled Miroslav Klose's record of 16 World Cup goals and has a chance to become the sole record holder on Monday evening.

Austria's first match was not as straightforward. After taking the lead, they allowed World Cup debutants Jordan to equalise early in the second half, but eventually secured a 3–1 win. The only previous meeting between Austria and Argentina was a friendly in 1990, which ended in a 1–1 draw.

In the 2026 World Cup knockout stage, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups will advance, along with the eight best third-placed teams.