FIFA World Cup 2026: Who will Argentina face in the group stage?

Defending champion Argentina was placed in group J for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during the draw ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on Friday.

Who are Argentina’s opponents at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Argentina is still waiting for the participation of talisman Lionel Messi, who has not yet wanted to give a clear confirmation that he will play in the World Cup.

«I hope I can be there. I have said before that I would like to be there. In the worst case scenario I will be there live, but it will be special. The World Cup is special for everyone, for any country – especially for us, because we experience it in a completely different way,» Messi said earlier this week.

Argentina is aiming to become only the third team ever to defend the World Cup, after Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962).

The World Cup, which started in 1930 as an invitation-only tournament, has grown from just 13 to 32 teams, becoming the biggest competition in international football. Next year’s World Cup will have a larger roster – 48 teams – making it the largest iteration of the tournament.

So far, 42 teams have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the remaining six places, two countries will qualify via inter-confederation play-offs, while the remaining four will be winners of the European qualifying play-offs.

The increased number of teams also introduces an extra round. The top two teams from each group, along with the top eight third-place teams, will advance to the round of 32.

Round of 32 matches are single-leg knockouts, involving 90 minutes of regular play, followed by 30 minutes of extra time if the result is not known. If the match is still undecided after 120 minutes plus injury time, the winner will be determined by penalty kicks.

Published on December 6, 2025