World Cup 2026 Tips Monday 22 June: Messi v Austria, France v Iraq, Norway-Senegal and a Late Algeria Banker

Right — Monday’s slate is a four-pack of Matchday 2 fixtures from Groups I and J, and three of the four are short-priced. There’s still a punt to be had in each, but the smart Aussie money on this slate looks more like margin and same-game multis than head-to-head. Here’s our run-through of the lot — odds in decimal (Australian standard), AEST kickoffs, with the numbers underneath each call.

Monday’s four-match slate at AEST-friendly hours — Argentina open the morning, Algeria-Jordan closes it just before lunch. (Illustrative image.)

Argentina v Austria — Messi, the Klose record and a 1.58 price. Look at the over 2.5 and a margin angle.
France v Iraq — France at 1.08 is short for a reason; the multi bet is the play.
Norway v Senegal — the only proper coin-flip on the slate (NOR 2.04 / X 3.41 / SEN 3.22).
Jordan v Algeria — Algeria’s most likely route back into the group; Mahrez returning to the XI.
All decimal odds via worldcup-2026.bet consensus, as of 2026-06-22 ~10:00 ET.

Argentina vs Austria — 3:00 AM AEST (Tue 23 Jun), Arlington TX

Consensus odds (decimal): Argentina 1.58 / Draw 3.65 / Austria 5.38.

The headline number isn’t the 1.58 — it’s the 16. That’s Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup men’s scoring record, which Lionel Messi equalled with a hat-trick v Algeria and now sits a goal away from breaking (Al Jazeera). Likely his last World Cup, an Argentina XI on an eight-match winning run, and a market that hasn’t shortened La Albiceleste because Austria are a serious side too. David Alaba’s Austria beat Jordan 3–1 in their opener and are unbeaten in their last five going in.

Aussie punter angle: 1.58 head-to-head is light. The cleaner punts:

Messi anytime scorer — the obvious one. Given the record chase, expect Argentina to feed him crosses early.
Argentina –1.5 handicap — Argentina won their opener 3–0; if they get a third here, this lands.
Over 2.5 goals — Austria don’t park the bus, Argentina don’t need to.

Note: Argentina’s Gonzalo Montiel is doubtful (muscular; Molina starts); Austria’s Christoph Baumgartner is OUT for the tournament (thigh, surgery), and Posch is cleared with a brace after his broken jaw v Jordan.

Our call: Messi anytime scorer + Argentina to win = a sensible same-game multi at a price that pays.

France vs Iraq — 7:00 AM AEST (Tue 23 Jun), Philadelphia PA

Consensus odds (decimal): France 1.08 / Draw 7.68 / Iraq 27.84.

This is as short as a 1X2 gets. Opta has France’s win probability at 88.5% (Al Jazeera). Kylian Mbappé is now France’s all-time top scorer (58) after his brace v Senegal and could pick up his 100th France cap here. Iraq are at the World Cup for the first time since 1986, arriving on the back of a 4–1 hiding from Norway.

Aussie punter angle: never bet the front of the line at 1.08. The options:

France –2.5 handicap — France beat Senegal 3–1; expect a wider margin against a debutant-tier opponent.
Mbappé anytime + over 3.5 goals — a same-game multi at a price.
First-half team to lead: France — gets you a bit more juice than the outright.

Note: France’s Malo Gusto is doubtful (foot knock in training); Saliba started v Senegal and is available. Hugo Ekitike is reported OUT of the tournament (Achilles), but the report is single-source.

Our call: France in a same-game multi (France to win + over 2.5 + Mbappé anytime). Don’t take the bare 1.08.

Norway vs Senegal — 10:00 AM AEST (Tue 23 Jun), East Rutherford NJ

Consensus odds (decimal): Norway 2.04 / Draw 3.41 / Senegal 3.22.

Here’s your proper coin-flip of the day. Norway are on eleven straight competitive wins, and Erling Haaland has scored in 11 straight competitive Norway matches and a brace on his WC debut (The Analyst). Senegal lost their opener 1–3 to France but bring Kalidou Koulibaly back to full fitness, and on form should be the more "Premier League-tested" XI on the pitch.

Opta’s pre-match: Norway 45.0% / Draw 25.4% / Senegal 29.6%.

Aussie punter angle:

Haaland anytime scorer — the cleanest single bet on the whole slate (he has scored in eleven straight Norway competitive games).
BTTS Yes — Norway score; Senegal score (they have, every recent qualifier).
Draw at 3.41 — if you’re chasing value, the draw is the cleanest live price.

Venue note: Sky Sports listed Toronto, while Yahoo/ESPN/MetLife all say MetLife, East Rutherford NJ — resolved to MetLife.

Our call: Haaland anytime + BTTS — gets you out of the 2.04 front-line and into a price that respects the volatility.

Jordan vs Algeria — 1:00 PM AEST (Tue 23 Jun), Santa Clara CA

Consensus odds (decimal): Jordan 6.24 / Draw 3.98 / Algeria 1.47.

Algeria need a result. Their 3–0 opening loss to Argentina is recoverable; this match is when. Riyad Mahrez returns to the XI after being tactically benched v Argentina. Jordan have lost the early Klose-record discussions but pulled their weight in the opener (1–3 v Austria), with Ali Olwan scoring Jordan’s first-ever World Cup goal. Yazan Al Naimat is OUT of the tournament (ACL, December 2025); Abdallah Nasib is doubtful.

Aussie punter angle:

Algeria to win + over 1.5 goals — Algeria need the points; Jordan will have a crack at home-of-football glory; a 2–1 or 3–1 looks the most likely scoreline shape.
Mahrez anytime — back in the XI; Algeria’s chief creator.

Our call: Algeria –1 handicap or Algeria + over 2.5 same-game multi. The bare 1.47 is fine but skinny.

The slate at a glance

Argentina vs Austria — 3:00 AM AEST (Tue 23 Jun) | ARG 1.58 / X 3.65 / AUT 5.38

France vs Iraq — 7:00 AM AEST | FRA 1.08 / X 7.68 / IRQ 27.84

Norway vs Senegal — 10:00 AM AEST | NOR 2.04 / X 3.41 / SEN 3.22

Jordan vs Algeria — 1:00 PM AEST | JOR 6.24 / X 3.98 / ALG 1.47

Decimal odds (Australian standard), via worldcup-2026.bet consensus, as of 2026-06-22 ~10:00 ET.

Odds shown are decimal (Australian standard) via worldcup-2026.bet consensus. The primary trusted aggregators Oddschecker and OddsPortal were not accessible at the time — treat figures as indicative and check your book before the punt.

The Aussie viewing notes (Optus Sport, AEST)

Argentina vs Austria — 3:00 AM AEST. The set-the-alarm one for Messi-record hunters.
France vs Iraq — 7:00 AM AEST. Coffee-time.
Norway vs Senegal — 10:00 AM AEST. The morning-tea match — the one to watch live if you can only pick one.
Jordan vs Algeria — 1:00 PM AEST. Lunchtime banker.

If you’ve got the day off Tuesday, the whole slate runs across a six-hour window. Optus Sport has the rights.

Punter’s three-line summary

Don’t bet the front of the line on France or Argentina — they’re shorter than the value. Margin and same-game multis are the play.
Norway-Senegal is today’s coin flip — Haaland anytime + BTTS is the cleanest read.
Algeria –1 is the bestbankerwithjuiceonthelate match — Mahrez back, Jordan light on personnel.

For our broader market view, see the World Cup 2026 Odds page, the Matchday tips home, and the multi-bet tips guide. Yesterday’s results are in our Sunday 21 June recap.

What time is Argentina v Austria in AEST?

Argentina v Austria kicks off 1:00 PM ET on Monday 22 June at AT&T Stadium, Arlington — that’s 3:00 AM AEST early Tuesday 23 June in Australia.

Why is France 1.08 against Iraq?

Iraq are at their first World Cup since 1986 and lost their opener 1–4 to Norway; France beat Senegal 3–1 and have Mbappé in record-breaking form. Opta has France at 88.5% win probability — short, but the gap is real.

Where can I watch Monday’s World Cup matches in Australia?

Optus Sport holds the Australian rights to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. All four Monday matches are available on the platform; the AEST kickoffs span 3:00 AM to 1:00 PM Tuesday 23 June.

What’s the value pick on the slate?

The Norway v Senegal coin-flip is the only line where both sides have a defensible case. Haaland anytime + BTTS as a same-game multi is the cleanest value read at Aussie books.

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