By OkayGoal 
Defending champions Argentina have secured their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage after a 2-0 victory over Austria in Matchday 2.
Once again, Lionel Messi was the difference maker. The Argentina captain scored both goals and moved onto 18 World Cup goals. That tally extends his record as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.
Argentina’s qualification and Group J winner status were confirmed later in the day. Algeria defeated Jordan 2-1, ensuring that neither Austria nor Algeria could catch Lionel Scaloni’s side at the top of the standings.
Algeria Keep Qualification Hopes Alive
The other Group J fixture saw Algeria come from behind to beat Jordan 2-1.
Jordan took the lead through Nizar Al-Rashdan in the first half. However, Algeria responded strongly after the break. Goals from Nadhir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri completed the comeback and secured all three points.
The victory moved Algeria level with Austria on three points. Meanwhile, Jordan became the latest team to be eliminated from the tournament after suffering a second consecutive defeat.
Final Matchday Decides Second Place
With Argentina already confirmed as group winners, their final match against Jordan will have little impact on the standings.
The decisive fixture will be Austria versus Algeria. Both teams remain in contention for a place in the knockout stage and will battle for qualification in the final round of Group J matches.
Matchday 1 Results
- Argentina 3-0 Algeria
- Austria 3-1 Jordan
Matchday 2 Results
- Argentina 2-0 Austria
- Algeria 2-1 Jordan
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 6 |
| 2 | Austria | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Algeria | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 3 |
| 4 | Jordan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 |
Qualification Scenario
- Argentina — Qualified as Group J winners.
- Jordan — Eliminated after losing their first two matches.
- Austria — A win over Algeria guarantees qualification. A draw could also be enough depending on tiebreakers and third-place rankings.
- Algeria — Must avoid defeat against Austria to maintain a strong qualification chance. A win guarantees progression, while a draw could still leave them in contention for one of the best third-place spots.