Monday closes out Matchday 2 across Groups I and J. France and Argentina, two of the four most-talked-about sides at this World Cup, can both clinch a Round of 32 spot with a win. Norway and Senegal play the group's most consequential game before Matchday 3 even arrives. And Jordan, on zero points after a deserved opening loss, get a chance to make Algeria uncomfortable. Here is the preview.
France vs Iraq — 12:00 ET, Gillette Stadium
France opened with a 2-1 win over Senegal in which Kylian Mbappé scored, Aurélien Tchouaméni had his best 90 minutes in a France shirt and the back line wobbled twice in ways Didier Deschamps did not enjoy. Iraq, who lost 2-0 to Norway, come into this game with nothing to lose and a tactical setup built around making the middle of the pitch hard to play through. Jesús Casas's side did that quite well in the first half against Norway before Erling Haaland did Erling Haaland things in the second.
The question for France is rotation. Deschamps has hinted at changes: Eduardo Camavinga in for Tchouaméni to manage minutes, Bradley Barcola for a tight-looking Ousmane Dembélé, and a probable Randal Kolo Muani look at the nine. A win mathematically guarantees France's progression. A draw complicates Matchday 3 against Norway, which is already shaping up to be the biggest game of the group.
Senegal vs Norway — 15:00 ET, MetLife Stadium
The most important game of the day. Norway are on three points after the win over Iraq, Senegal on zero after the loss to France. Whoever wins this match is in pole position to grab the second qualifying spot from Group I. A draw helps Norway more than Senegal — the Norwegians would arrive at Matchday 3 against France knowing a point would likely be enough.
The tactical interest is Haaland against Senegal's centre-back pair of Kalidou Koulibaly and Abdou Diallo, both of whom conceded the second goal against France while trying to push out too early. Aliou Cissé is expected to drop into a deeper block with Pape Matar Sarr running the channel, and Sadio Mané, on the bench for the opener, is in line to start. Norway will play 4-3-3 around Haaland and trust Martin Ødegaard to find him in the spaces between Senegal's lines. The pressure is on Senegal. A loss probably eliminates them.
Argentina vs Austria — 18:00 ET, Arrowhead Stadium
Argentina won 1-0 over Algeria in a game that the holders controlled without ever really threatening to score more than one. Lautaro Martínez got the winner from a Julián Álvarez cross. Austria, who beat Jordan 2-1, arrive with three points and an entirely reasonable belief that they can take something from the world champions. Ralf Rangnick's side play one of the most aggressive pressing schemes at this tournament and have the players — Marcel Sabitzer, Konrad Laimer, Christoph Baumgartner — to actually execute it for ninety minutes.
Lionel Scaloni's challenge is to manage Argentina without Messi in midfield games like this. Rodrigo De Paul has been the metronome through qualifying, Alexis Mac Allister has been asked to be more creative without his Liverpool teammate, and Enzo Fernández carries the deepest of the three. If Austria press high, Argentina either play through it cleanly or invite a long Monday afternoon. A win clinches. A draw keeps everything open for Matchday 3.
Algeria vs Jordan — 21:00 ET, Levi's Stadium
The night cap is the game neither side can afford to lose. Algeria sit on zero points after a hard-fought defeat to Argentina; Jordan also on zero after the loss to Austria. Vladimir Petković's Algeria will play with more freedom than they did at Arrowhead — Riyad Mahrez and Ismaël Bennacer were both kept quiet in the opener and need an evening where they can run at a defence not built like Argentina's.
Jordan are at their first World Cup and have not yet looked out of place. Adnan Hamad's side defended well against Austria for an hour before fading, and the captain Musa Al-Taamari is the one Algerian fans should know to watch. The likely outcome is an Algeria win, but Jordan have already shown they will not roll over. Either way, the loser is essentially eliminated going into Matchday 3.
Where the groups stand going in
- Group I: France 3, Norway 3, Senegal 0, Iraq 0. A France win and a Norway result both lock in advancement; the second qualifying spot likely decided by today's Senegal-Norway clash and the Matchday 3 France-Norway meeting.
- Group J: Argentina 3, Austria 3, Algeria 0, Jordan 0. Argentina-Austria is a likely group-deciding game by points; the loser between Algeria and Jordan goes home.
- Best-third watch: Anything from four points likely qualifies. Three with a positive goal difference is in the conversation. Senegal, Algeria and Iraq are all alive depending on tonight.
How to watch
FOX has France-Iraq at noon and Senegal-Norway at 3 pm ET. FS1 carries Argentina-Austria at 6 pm and Algeria-Jordan at 9 pm. Telemundo and Peacock cover the full slate in Spanish and for cord-cutters respectively. UK viewers get the BBC1 window for France-Iraq from 5 pm BST and ITV1 for Argentina-Austria at 11 pm BST.
For live tables and the rest of the night — Scorelisto soccer scores updates after every goal. Check the blog later for the Matchday 12 recap.
FAQ
Can France clinch a knockout spot tonight? Yes. A win against Iraq combined with Norway not losing to Senegal puts France through with a game to spare.
Will Erling Haaland start? Yes. He scored against Iraq, played 88 minutes and is in line for a full shift against Senegal. The Norway management has not signalled any rotation.
What does Argentina need to clinch? A win over Austria guarantees advancement. A draw still leaves them in a strong position going into Matchday 3 against Jordan.
When is Matchday 3? Groups I and J finish their group stage on Saturday June 27 with simultaneous kickoffs to prevent collusion. France-Norway and Senegal-Iraq run together at 3 pm ET; Argentina-Jordan and Algeria-Austria at 6 pm ET.