San Francisco, June 22 (QNA) - Attention will turn to a crucial Arab showdown between Jordan and Algeria in the early hours of Tuesday as both sides seek to revive their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaigns, while Iraq face a must-win test against France to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.

The Group J meeting at San Francisco Bay Arena carries added significance after Jordan suffered a 3-1 defeat to Austria in its opening match, while Algeria fell 3-0 to defending champions Argentina.

Jordan will look to striker Ali Olwan to lead the attack, with defender Yazan Al-Arab and goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila expected to play key roles as the team seeks its first points of the tournament.

Algeria, meanwhile, will rely on the experience of captain Riyad Mahrez, while Amine Gouiri and Anis Hadj Moussa are expected to provide additional attacking threat.

Elsewhere in Group J, Argentina take on Austria in a clash between the group's two winning sides. A victory for either team would secure a place in the knockout stage with one match to spare.

In Group I, Iraq face a stern challenge against 2022 World Cup runners-up France at Philadelphia Stadium, after opening their campaign with a 4-1 defeat to Norway.

The Iraqi team will pin their hopes on Aymen Hussein, Ali Al Hamadi, and Ali Jasim, as they seek a positive result to keep their qualification hopes alive heading into the final group-stage match.

France, meanwhile, will aim to build on their strong opening 3-1 victory over Senegal and move closer to the knockout stage. France will be led by a star-studded squad featuring Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise as it looks to move closer to securing qualification and continue its pursuit of the world title.

In the same group, Norway will face Senegal at MetLife Stadium, the venue that will host the tournament final.

Norway is seeking a second straight victory after its 4–1 win over Iraq, a result that could secure qualification to the knockout rounds for the first time since the 1998 World Cup.

Senegal, on the other hand, enters the match under pressure to recover from its 3–1 defeat to France. The Senegalese side hopes to keep its qualification chances alive and continue dreaming of repeating its historic achievement at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, when it reached the quarter-finals. (QNA)