​On June 16, 2026, in Kansas City, Lionel Messi celebrated Argentina’s third goal to complete a hat-trick, as the article outlined the final Group J results and scenarios ahead of the World Cup’s last group-stage day. Argentina had already clinched the group and would advance to the Round of 32 to face the winners of Group H, while Jordan had been eliminated. Austria and Algeria remained in contention for knockout-stage spots. The piece presented the current Group J standings, with Argentina leading, and summarized the remaining matches and potential outcomes for Austria, Algeria, and Jordan on the final day, including the scenarios for automatic qualification as one of the top two teams or as a third-placed team. It also explained the tiebreaker rules to be used if teams were level on points after group play, detailing a three-step process based on head-to-head results, overall goal difference, goals scored, disciplinary points, and FIFA rankings if needed. The article also noted scheduled match times for the final Group J games, all listed in Eastern Time.