3-time World Cup champion Argentina starts title defense vs. Algeria, Austria and Jordan in Group J

Lionel Messi and Argentina hope to become the first repeat World Cup champion in six decades.

Their opponents in Group J have plans of their own. Algeria and Austria are back after long absences and Jordan is making its World Cup debut at the expanded 48-nation tournament.

A second World Cup title might elevate Messi in debates of whether he, Pelé or Diego Maradona is the greatest player in soccer history. As of mid-April, Messi had not made a final commitment to playing.

La Albiceleste won the 2022 final on penalty kicks over France. No men's team has won consecutive World Cups since Brazil in 1958 led by Pelé and in 1962, when Pelé missed most of the tournament because of an injury.

Three-time champion Argentina, ranked No. 3 in the world, opens against No. 28 Algeria on June 16, then plays Austria and Jordan in a group that likely should provide an easy glide to the knockout stages.

La Albiceleste clinched its World Cup berth 15 months ahead of the tournament with a victory over Brazil as Messi missed the match because of an adductor injury.

Nine of the starters were the same as in the World Cup final, with midfielders Thiago Almada and Leandro Paredes in place of Messi and Ángel Di María, who retired from the national team in 2024 after helping with its second straight Copa America.

Among those starters, by the World Cup the group will include Nicolás Otamendi at 38, Nicolás Tagliafico at 33 and Rodrigo De Paul at 32.

Messi, who turns 39 two days after Argentina’s second game, could along with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo become the first men to play in six World Cups.

Messi already holds the record for most matches (26) and is tied for third in goals with Just Fontaine at 13, trailing only Miroslav Klose (16), Brazil’s Ronaldo (15) and Gerd Müller (14). Messi’s 116 international goals heading into June are second to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 143, and he led South American qualifying with eight goals.

Lionel Scaloni, who became Argentina's coach in 2018, hopes to become the second coach to win two World Cups after Vittorio Pozzo with Italy in 1934 and 1938.

A two-time African champion with titles in 1990 and 2019, Algeria is making its first World Cup appearance since 2014, when it reached the second round and was knocked out by Germany in extra time.

Algeria had eight wins, one loss and one draw in qualifying. Former Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez is captain at age 35 and with 38 international goals is second on his nation's career scoring list behind Islam Slimani with 45.

Other top players include left back Rayan Aït-Nouri and defender Ramy Bensebaini.

Coach Vladimir Petković led Switzerland's national team from 2014 to 2021.

In the World Cup for the eighth time and first since 1998, Austria is seeking to advance past the first round for the first since since 1982.

Marko Arnautović turns 37 in April and is likely to be the oldest player on the roster. He is Austria's career leader in goals (47) and appearances (132). Captain David Alaba, a defender who turns 34 during the tournament, is a veteran of more than 120 Champions League matches and four European club titles.

Other key players include midfielder Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer.

Coach Ralf Rangnick took over in 2022 after spells with Manchester United, Hoffenheim, Schalke and Stuttgart and Leipzig.

Reaching the World Cup for the first time, Jordan has never achieved much international soccer success. Its best showings in the Asian Cup were runner-up in the 2023 edition and the quarterfinals in 2004 and 2011.

Musa Al-Taamari, who has 24 international goals, plays for Rennes in France and is among the few Jordanians with European clubs. Ibrahim Sabra, another attacker, is with Lokomotiva Zagreb in Croatia.

A former midfielder for Morocco, Jamal Sellami took over as Jordan's coach in 2024.

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

FILE - Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni reacts during a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Ecuador at Banco Pichincha stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa, File)

FILE - Austria's Marko Arnautovic applauds during the World Cup 2026 group H qualifying soccer match between Cyprus and Austria, in Limassol, Cyprus, Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.(AP Photo/Chara Savvidou, File)

FILE - Jordan's midfielder Musa Al-Taamari, top, battles for a ball with Australia's midfielder Massimo Luongo during the AFC Asian Cup group B soccer match between Australia and Jordan at Hazza bin Zayed stadium in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)

FILE - Algeria's Riyad Mahrez celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Africa Cup of Nations group E soccer match between Algeria and Sudan in Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)

FILE - Argentina's Lionel Messi dribbles during a friendly soccer match against Zambia in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello, File)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — World Cup fans in a growing number of U.S. cities won't have an issue finding a well-poured pint to go with their late-night match.

State leaders across the U.S. are signing off on extending bar and restaurant hours during the world’s most-watched sporting event. They want to help businesses and improve fan experiences, particularly for those who may have been priced out of tickets. Others see the move as a last-ditch effort to boost sales as expectations for a World Cup economic boon have dampened.

So far, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington — states either hosting World Cup matches or adjacent to the activity — have all approved various measures to extend hours for alcohol sales during the tournament. Similar proposals are being considered in New York and Massachusetts.

The changes mean that closing time won’t come until 4 a.m. in Philadelphia during the World Cup and America 250 celebrations. In Kansas City, some bars can stay open as late as 5 a.m.

Many of these changes are dependent on municipality approval, and no business would be required to extend business hours. But for the hospitality industry, already struggling under waning sales and inflation, the option to stay open later is welcomed.

Mark Prinzinger, owner of Lion Sports Bar in Philadelphia, described watching soccer with fans from all over the world as a “magical experience." Now that he has the option to keep his bar open two hours longer, he’s hired extra staff, streamlined the menus and planned late-night programming.

“People want to have a beer with other soccer fans and the great thing about the World Cup is that it brings people together from all over the world into one place to watch a sport that everybody loves,” he said.

Prinzinger and other bar, restaurant and nightlife venues in Pennsylvania will be allowed to move their closing times from 2 a.m. until 4 a.m. during the World Cup and the America 250 anniversary celebrations, between June 11 and July 20. Gov. Josh Shapiro approved the legislation by releasing a video showing him cracking open a beer, signing off the social media post with a cheeky warning to the City of Brotherly Love's reputation for getting rowdy: “Celebrate responsibly, Philly.”

With more hours available to drink, some critics have raised concerns about public safety and potential strain on law enforcement even as the effort has received bipartisan support from lawmakers.

In Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas initially stated that his city “doesn't need bars operating 23 hours” during the World Cup and joked, “Worry not, if you want to drink a ton, bars can open quite early.”

Yet bar owners bristle under such opposition, saying that most businesses prioritize training staff to prevent patrons from being overserved.

“Just because people are hanging out at the bar watching a soccer game doesn’t mean they’re getting blitzed,” Prinzinger said. “In fact, I would say it’s completely the opposite. I think people want to watch the game. People want to be engaged.”

Rhode Island Rep. Teresa Tanzi agreed.

“Not everybody that’s going to walk into a place is going to be chugging drinks and getting loaded,” Tanzi, a Democrat, said earlier this month on the House floor. “There are going to be families who are going to want a cheeseburger, an American cheeseburger, and a Coca-Cola."

Rhode Island, which is closer than Boston is to World Cup matches host Gillette Stadium, is weighing whether to extend alcohol sales to 3 a.m. and closing times to 4 a.m. Currently, last call in the smallest U.S. state is 1 a.m., with some exceptions for its capital city of Providence.

Even Lucas relented, eventually submitting a plan allowing Kansas City restaurants and bars to remain open until 3 a.m., and certain establishments to remain open until 5 a.m. if they submit a security plan to the police department. Currently, alcohol sales can generally be made between 6 a.m. through 1:30 a.m.

The extended hours aren't entirely a U.S. trend. Pubs in England and Wales will be able to stay open as late as 2 a.m. if the English or Scottish teams are playing in the knockout stages after the U.K. government relaxed its licensing rules.

In Scotland, which has its own semiautonomous government, local authorities can allow pubs to stay open until 30 minutes after matches end.

According to the World Cup schedule, a majority of games will be held from early afternoon through early evening. But a handful start later, with four games starting at midnight and eight games starting at 10 p.m. for those watching in the Eastern time zone.

Just how big of a demand there will be for late-night bites and drinks is somewhat unknown. In the U.S., consumer habits have shifted drastically ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, with more people choosing to go out earlier in the day and spending less overall, said David Henkes, senior principal at Technomic, a firm that monitors restaurant and food industry trends.

“It’s so hard to stay open late night or overnight just because it’s hard to find labor,” Henkes said. “I applaud the effort to give restaurants an opportunity to earn more revenue, but I’m not sure that there’s going to be significant enough demand for it to make sense for a lot of operators to do so.”

Associated Press writer Brian Melley contributed from London.

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Lion Sports Bar owner Mark Prinzinger poses behind the bar as fans watch a Champion league soccer match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)

Fans arrive to watch a Champion league soccer match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain at the Lion Sports Bar, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)

Fans watch a Champion league soccer match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain at the Lion Sports Bar, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)

Fans watch a Champion league soccer match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain at the Lion Sports Bar, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)

Fans watch a Champion league soccer match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain at the Lion Sports Bar, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)