24 Jun 2026 15:49 BST |
3 min read
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The 2026 World Cup could produce one of the strangest matches in tournament history, with the possibility of a game that both teams would be better off losing.
FIFA’s decision to change the tiebreaker rules so that head-to-head counts before goal difference in the group stage has been met with controversy, yet even that decision, which has rendered a string of matches dead rubbers, would have little impact on the forthcoming Group J matchup.
Austria and Algeria’s encounter in Kansas City on 28 June is set up to be one of the strangest World Cup matches in history due to a combination of the draw and the timing of the fixture.
Austria and Algeria in a unique position
The situation in Group J is clear-cut. Argentina will win the group, having already defeated both Austria and Algeria, while Jordan will finish bottom, having lost to the same nations.
Even if goal difference were the key tiebreaker, the world champions are in such a position that they were unlikely to have to worry about their clash with Jordan, who are massive outsiders to beat them. Theoretically, it would have been possible for Austria or Algeria to change position and finish first or last, but it would have been highly unlikely. With head-to-head as the tiebreaker, it is impossible.
Crucially, in this case, it looks likely to be an advantage to finish third in the group as opposed to second.
The reason for this is that the team finishing as runner-up is likely to face Spain should La Roja avoid defeat against Uruguay. Given the toothlessness of the South Americans and how impressive Luis de la Fuente’s side were in dispatching Saudi Arabia 4-0, inspired by a fit-again Lamine Yamal, this is a strong probability.
The team finishing third is likely to be handed an easier task. As things stand, that would be against Mauricio Pochettino’s USA.
Timing is everything
The schedule is the thing that makes this game particularly liable to perfectly legal manipulation. Group J will be the second-last pool to finish, meaning that these teams will go into the game with a very strong idea of what is required for a third-placed side to qualify.
The teams will be able to analyse the potential outcomes of the draw and decide what result is best for their future in the competition – a luxury teams playing earlier simply do not have. It may well be that losing is the optimal result, particularly if goal difference is not a factor.
Ironically, these were two of the three teams involved in the Disgrace of Gijon, which was a match that prompted FIFA to start the final games in each group concurrently. Algeria were the victims on that occasion as Austria beat West Germany 1-0 in a match that has gone down in infamy given there appeared a friendly arrangement for the fixture to finish that way.
Now 44 years on, a similar scenario is unfolding, with the fixture list now in the North Africans’ favour.
