48 teams, 48 professionals
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The countdown to the 2026 World Cup has begun: 48 nations will fight for the most coveted trophy in international football starting next Thursday, June 11th. We have pooled the global expertise of our transfer market employees from five continents and, in the run-up to the tournament, we are presenting one player from each team that you need to have on your list in the next six weeks: From potential rising stars to possible surprises to veterans hungry for success – we continue with Group J, consisting of Argentina, Austria, Algeria and Jordan.
World Cup 2026: 48 teams, 48 players
Lionel Messi: At the “Last Dance” to defend his title?
Scott Christensen, Area Manager Argentina at Transfermarkt: The majority of the Argentine squad is well known to almost all football fans. All eyes are on Lionel Messi for the last time at the World Cup and many believe he won’t make the difference this time due to his age – but I believe he will. I can of course understand and agree that he will not play at the same level as in 2022, considering he is almost 39 years old and regularly plays in a weaker league, but I would never doubt Messi’s abilities.
He may be slower, more injury-prone and tire easily, but whenever he has the ball at his feet – and certainly in Argentina’s jersey at a World Cup – he will be a threat because his quality and strong fighting spirit are still there. He is clearly the leader and idol of the team and his teammates don’t mind if he doesn’t defend as they know what he can do in attack. That’s why they will do their best to help him defend his title at his “Last Dance”.
Marcel Sabitzer: Even more responsibility after Baumgartner’s loss
Dorian Schuster, Area Manager Austria at Transfermarkt: Marcel Sabitzer is the leader of the Austrian national team. Since David Alaba has missed most of the games recently due to injuries, the Borussia Dortmund veteran has often had to step into the breach in his absence. He is also vice-captain behind Alaba and Marko Arnautovic. In contrast to his role in Dortmund, Sabitzer often plays on the left wing in the Austrian national team and is now, in my opinion, the most important offensive player in the team after Baumgartner’s injury.
Sabitzer has scored and assisted two more goals in his last three international matches for Austria, so the Austrians’ game will depend extremely on his performances. Just like at the 2024 European Championship, where he led us to advance in the group stage after a surprising win against the Netherlands. If Austria wants to cause more surprises in North America this summer, Sabitzer will likely be key.
Ibrahim Maza: Lots of tailwind after a strong debut season for Bayer
Lennart Gens; Editor at Transfermarkt: In a mixed season for Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Ibrahim Maza was the undisputed shooting star. Although Leverkusen signed many expensive players in the summer, such as Malik Tillman (35 million euros from PSV Eindhoven) and Eliesse Ben Seghir (32 million euros from AS Monaco), it was the comparatively cheap Maza (12 million euros from Hertha BSC) who secured a regular place in the attack.
Maza contributed five goals and seven assists in 44 games, increasing his market value to 45 million euros. As he did at the Africa Cup of Nations in January, when he scored two goals and provided an assist, Maza will play a key role in the Algerian team at the World Cup and could be one of the players to surprise everyone this summer. It’s possible that the big clubs will be waiting in line even longer after the tournament than they are now.
Mousa Tamari: Jordan’s best player in history
Khalid Borini, Jordan data scout at Transfermarkt: Mousa Tamari is currently the man of the hour in Jordan. He is the only Jordanian player to have managed to shine in Europe’s top leagues and many consider him to be the greatest Jordanian footballer in history. He also holds the record for the highest market value ever achieved by a Jordanian player on the transfer market. His success was no coincidence, but the result of his exceptional talent combined with a mature mentality that helped him work his way up from the Jordanian league to the French league. Fans hope he will lead the national team beyond the group stage of the World Cup.
Due to his exceptional talent, he was called up for the national team for the first time at a very young age. His greatest strengths are his speed and his dribbling. What happened at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup is clear evidence of this, as he managed to lead this generation to the final of the tournament for the first time in its history. The goal he scored against South Korea in the semi-final – after picking up the ball from in front of the halfway line – shows the quality he possesses.