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Argentina has already secured the top spot in Group J of the and will conclude the group stage this Saturday with a formality match against Jordan, which has already been eliminated, while the real drama will unfold at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, where Austria and Algeria face off in a match that is worth a ticket to the round of 16.
The Albiceleste arrives at this final matchday with a perfect record: they triumphed 3-0 against Algeria on June 17, with a hat-trick from Lionel Messi, and defeated Austria 2-0 on June 22 with a double from the same player, who at that time became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals, surpassing Miroslav Klose's 16.
With 6 points and a goal difference of +5, the world champion is only looking to maintain competitive momentum against a Jordan team that concludes its historic World Cup debut without any points and no chance of advancing.
All the attention of Group J will be on the match between Austria and Algeria, which will take place simultaneously at 10:00 PM Cuba time.
Austria, second in the group with 3 points and a neutral goal difference, depends on itself: a draw is enough to secure the second position and return to a World Cup knockout stage for the first time since Spain 1982, which was 44 years ago.
Algeria, in third place with the same 3 points but a goal difference of -2, has no margin for error: it must win in order to qualify directly for the next round.
The match also carries a unique historical weight. In Spain 1982, Austria and West Germany were involved in the infamous “Pact of Gijón”, a prearranged result that eliminated Algeria in their World Cup debut. Four decades later, the roles are reversed: now it is the Algerians who must win to avoid being knocked out.
Algeria returns to the World Cup after 12 years of absence, since Brazil 2014, where they reached the round of 16. Austria, on the other hand, is back in the tournament after 28 years, with their last participation in France 1998.
Messi has accumulated 5 goals in two matches in this World Cup and leads the tournament's scoring table ahead of Mbappé and Haaland, who each have four.
This matchday also includes other decisive games: Croatia against Ghana and Panama facing England in Group L, and Colombia versus Portugal alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo against Uzbekistan in Group K.
At the end of this day, all the matchups for the Round of 32 will be determined, where any mistake will mean the end of the journey toward the world title. If Argentina finishes first in Group J, they will play that round in Miami.
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