Argentina would qualify for the Economic World Cup/RTVE on penalties
The draw for the 2026 World Cup left the Argentine national team in Group J and, beyond the footballing challenges, an analysis of the national accounts of the possible rivals shows who would be the champion of economic regularity and who would have the most difficulty in qualifying.
A simulation exercise that measures the economic strength of countries by their gross domestic product (GDP) per capita positions Austria as the undisputed power of the group, while Argentina fights for second place.
The development differences between countries are catastrophic. Austria (Body 2) quadruples Argentina’s GDP per capita, which is directly reflected in the cost of living, as the Austrian minimum wage is 1,500 euros per month.
Argentina and Algeria, meanwhile, face the biggest debt challenge, with Jordan having the highest unemployment rate of the four countries in the World Cup group.
When it comes to per capita income, Austria is at the top with 53,830 euros per year per resident. Argentina follows with 12,498 euros per year and person; Algeria 5,335 euros and Jordan 4,337 euros per year per capita.
Simulating a confrontation in which victory is awarded to the country with the highest GDP per capita, the final classification of “Economic Group J” would place Austria first with 6 points; Argentina 3 points (exceeds Algeria with the highest GDP/capita); Algeria 3 points and Jordan 0 points.
The Argentine team will top Group J at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and already know where they will play their games against Algeria, Austria and Jordan. The reigning champions will concentrate their three games in the central region of the United States, in Kansas and Dallas.
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