22/06/2026 06:18 - Deportes
Estadio de fútbol moderno con tribunas llenas de hinchas argentinos con banderas celeste y blanco, ambiente de Mundial, césped verde, iluminación nocturna intensa
The Argentine National Team arrives at its second match of the 2026 World Cup brimming with confidence after a 3-0 thrashing of Algeria in their debut. This Monday, June 22 at 3:00 PM Argentina time (2:00 PM Dallas local), Lionel Scaloni's squad will face Austria in Dallas for the second round of Group J.
The outlook is promising: Argentina sits on 3 points with a goal difference of +3. Austria also has 3 points but occupies second place with fewer goals scored (+2). Jordan and Algeria close the table with zero points.
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | D | L | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +3 |
| 2 | Austria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2 |
| 3 | Jordan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| 4 | Algeria | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -3 |
If Argentina defeats Austria and Jordan fails to win their match, the Albiceleste would mathematically secure first place in the group with one round remaining. This would allow Scaloni to rotate his squad in the final group game.
With six points (another victory), qualification would be virtually guaranteed. Two draws would leave Argentina with five points, a figure historically sufficient to advance. Even with four points, there's a high probability of progressing.
For our international readers: Argentina is a South American football powerhouse, currently the defending World Cup champion (Qatar 2022) and Copa América holders. The team is led by Lionel Scaloni, a 48-year-old manager who transformed the national team into world champions. His pragmatic yet attacking style has made Argentina one of the most feared teams in international football.
Austria, meanwhile, is a European side that has historically been competitive but rarely reaches the latter stages of major tournaments. They qualified for this World Cup through European qualifiers.
The 2026 World Cup introduced a fundamental modification: from 1970 through Qatar 2022, the first tiebreaker criterion was overall goal difference. Now, Article 13 of the official regulations prioritizes head-to-head results.
Why this matters: If Argentina and Austria finish with equal points, Monday's direct result will determine who advances—making this match even more crucial.
The Argentine head coach, Lionel Scaloni, expressed reservations about the new system implemented by FIFA for matches played in extreme heat conditions.
"It's strange adapting to this. The match becomes very fragmented. Think about it—between them arriving and leaving, at halftime we only have three and a half minutes to talk to the players."
The 48-year-old coach considered that these breaks could benefit the weaker team, though he acknowledged they also serve to make tactical corrections. He also noted it's "a bit messy to see where this World Cup is heading."
Scaloni watched Uruguay's 2-2 draw with Cape Verde and commented that matches "become very fragmented."
For those unfamiliar: a hydration break is a stoppage of approximately 3 minutes called by the referee when wet-bulb globe temperature exceeds certain thresholds. It typically occurs around the 30th and 75th minutes of each half. Players can drink water and receive tactical instructions. This system has been used in tournaments like the MLS and Brazilian league, but is relatively new to the World Cup.
They could face the winners of Group B, D, G, L, or K in the Round of 32.
Their opponent would be the winner of Group H, featuring Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde.
Argentina vs Austria
Monday 22/06/2026 - 3:00 PM Argentina (2:00 PM Dallas)
Argentina vs Jordan
Saturday 27/06/2026 - 11:00 PM Argentina
Sources: Infobae | ESPN Argentina
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