The Argentine team secured their place in the round of 16 of the World Cup, also known as the round of 32 stage, after beating Austria 2-0 last Monday, June 22. With classification assured, expectations now turn to who will be the current champions’ first rival in the knockout stage.
On the field, Lionel Messi almost scored a historic goal with a 12th-minute penalty against Austria, but the ball went wide of the post. However, the 38-year-old quickly made his mark, finding the net in the 38th minute to establish a lead that Argentina would maintain. He would even increase the score in second-half stoppage time.
The Inter Miami star made a remarkable debut at the 2026 World Cup, possibly his last appearance, with a decisive hat-trick in the 3-0 victory over Algeria. So far, number 10 has been responsible for all five goals scored by the Argentine team in the tournament.
Considered the main force in the official FIFA world rankings, Argentina is seen as one of the favorites for the title. However, the new expanded format of the competition introduces an additional challenge, with an additional knockout stage in 32nd round, which could influence the difficulty of your journey towards the final.
Definition of Argentina’s possible opponents in the next phase
The only condition for Argentina not to secure first place in Group J is if Jordan manages to win over Algeria on Monday, and subsequently beat Argentina itself in the last game of the group stage, scheduled for June 27th.
If Argentina confirms the leadership of Group J, the most likely scenario, their confrontation will be against the team that finishes second in Group H. This group is made up of Spain, Cape Verde, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
The situation in Group H shows Spain already with a 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, in a match played on June 21st. On the other hand, Cape Verde surprised by drawing 0-0 with Spain and also equalized the score against Uruguay, who were considered favorites for second place before the start of the championship, generating uncertainty in the final classification.