PrepMonday, June 22

Albiceleste Aim to Ice Group J; France Face Iraq as Group I Reaches Crunch Time

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Argentina meet Austria in a top-of-the-table clash that could decide Group J, France are expected to cruise past Iraq, Norway and Senegal battle for second place, and Jordan-Algeria becomes a must-win for both sides still seeking their first points.

The pool is lockstep with the bookmakers on the day's two heavyweights—63 of 74 backed Argentina and 71 of 74 took France—but split three ways on Norway-Senegal, where the market sees the Scandinavians as slight favourites and 32 of you called the draw.

Argentina vs Austria: Winner Takes Control

Both sides sit on three points after opening victories, and the winner here will take a commanding grip on Group J with one match to spare. Argentina thrashed Algeria 4–1 in their opener, while Austria dispatched Jordan 3–1, so this shapes up as the group's headline fixture. The Albiceleste remain tournament favourites across most books—Bet365 has them at evens and Austria at 3.10 as of this morning—and Lionel Messi's supporting cast, particularly Julián Álvarez and Alexis Mac Allister, have hit early rhythm. Austria will lean on their high press and the creativity of Marcel Sabitzer, but the market and the pool agree: 63 of 74 went with an Argentina win, most commonly 2–1. A draw keeps both alive but hands the initiative to the final matchday; an Austrian upset would send shockwaves through the tournament and leave Messi's men needing results elsewhere.

France vs Iraq: Les Bleus Eye Six Points

France opened Group I with a comfortable 3–1 win and now face an Iraq side hammered 4–1 by Norway in their first outing. The Lions of Mesopotamia have conceded seven in two and sit bottom of the group, while Kylian Mbappé and company look every bit the title contenders—France are second favourites to lift the trophy behind only Spain. According to Oddschecker, France are priced around 1.20 to win this one, with Iraq out beyond 15.00; the pool mirrors that confidence, with 71 of 74 backing Les Bleus and 33 predicting a 3–0 scoreline. Didier Deschamps is expected to rotate lightly, resting a starter or two with the knockout rounds in mind, but the talent gap remains vast. Iraq need a result to stay mathematically alive, but it would take a minor miracle; France should have six points by the final whistle and one foot in the last sixteen.

Norway vs Senegal: Battle for Second

This is the day's most open contest. Norway stunned many by thumping Iraq 4–1 in their opener, with Erling Haaland grabbing a brace and looking every inch the goal machine, while Senegal fell 3–1 to France despite flashes from Sadio Mané and Ismaïla Sarr. Both sit on opposite sides of the Group I standings—Norway top with three points and a plus-three goal difference, Senegal third on zero—but a Senegalese win here would flip the table and leave everything to play for in the final round. The betting markets give Norway a slight edge: Betway lists them at 2.30, the draw at 3.20, and Senegal at 3.25, reflecting the form line and Haaland's red-hot start. The pool is genuinely split: 32 of 74 called the draw, 25 backed Norway, and 17 took Senegal, with 1–1 the most popular scoreline. Senegal must find a way to contain Haaland while unlocking a Norwegian defence that looked shaky at times against Iraq; if the Lions of Teranga can do it, Group I will go down to the wire.

Jordan vs Algeria: Desperation Derby

Both teams lost their opening fixtures—Jordan 3–1 to Austria, Algeria 4–1 to Argentina—and sit on zero points at the bottom of Group J. The maths is brutal: the loser here is almost certainly out, and even the winner will need favours on matchday three. Algeria looked overwhelmed against Messi and company, conceding inside ten minutes and never recovering, while Jordan showed flashes of fight but were undone by Austrian quality. The betting reflects Algeria's deeper pedigree: Betway has the Desert Foxes at 1.73, Jordan at 5.00, and the draw at 3.40, yet the pool is firmly in the Algerian camp—56 of 74 backed an away win, most commonly 2–1 or 1–0. Yanis Bammou and Mousa Tamari will need to deliver for Jordan, while Algeria's hopes rest on finding the cohesion that eluded them in game one. This is do-or-die football in its rawest form, and someone's World Cup dream ends tonight.

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