- © DFL
- © DFL
Bundesliga stars to watch in FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J
A host of stars from Germany's top two leagues are set to meet on football's biggest stage at the FIFA World Cup 2026. We train the spotlight on Group J, where a Bundesliga-heavy Austria squad will do battle with reigning champions Argentina, Algeria and Jordan...
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Austria
Carney Chukwuemeka (Borussia Dortmund)
- Born in Vienna, Chukwuemeka appeared for England at U17, U18, U19 and U20 level before committing his senior allegiance to Austria. He even won the European U19 Championship with the Three Lions in 2021.
- He made his Austria debut against Ghana in March 2026 and scored the fourth goal in a 5-1 victory. He has three caps to his name.
- Chukwuemeka initially joined Dortmund on loan in 2024/25 before signing permanently last summer.
- Laimer racked up a career-best nine Bundesliga assists in 2025/26 as Bayern won the Bundesliga title.
- The 29-year-old, who has worn the captain's armband for his country on several occasions, has proven incredibly versatile for Austria, playing at right-back, left-back, in defensive midfield, attacking midfield, central midfield, right midfield and left midfield across his 57 caps.
- Laimer was also named Austrian Footballer of the Year in 2025.
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Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund)
- Sabitzer is two games short of 100 international caps and has found the back of the net 26 times for his country - enough for a place in Austria's all-time top 10 in both categories.
- The midfielder was named Austrian Footballer of the Year in 2017.
- The Austria vice-captain has won trophies in three different countries - Austria (Red Bull Salzburg), Germany (Bayern Munich and Leipzig) and England (Manchester United).
- Seiwald played every minute of Austria's run to the UEFA EURO 2024 round of 16, their joint-best ever result in the competition.
- Against Norway in September 2024, Seiwald played the full 90 minutes of an Austria game for a record-breaking 20th time in a row. He ended up going the distance in 30 consecutive matches before being substituted against San Marino in October last year.
- The 47-time international missed only one Bundesliga game in 2025/26 as Leipzig qualified for the UEFA Champions League.
Nicolas Seiwald has become a key figure for Leipzig in recent seasons. - IMAGO/DeFodi.de
About the players
- The first of Schmid's three goals for his country came at EURO 2024, when he struck in Austria's 3-2 victory over the Netherlands at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. He has won 34 caps to date.
- Schmid has missed just three games for Bremen across the last three full Bundesliga seasons. He amassed a career-high eight assists in 2025/26.
- In July 2017, he became the first player born this century to find the net in the Austrian Bundesliga, doing so for Sturm Graz against Austria Vienna.
Also in the squad: Xaver Schlager (RB Leipzig), Stefan Posch (Mainz), Philipp Lienhart (Freiburg), Phillipp Mwene (Mainz), Alexander Prass (Hoffenheim), Marco Friedl (Werder Bremen), Patrick Wimmer (Wolfsburg), Michael Gregoritsch (Augsburg)
Argentina
Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
- Palacios has won every international tournament he has been involved in to date. He is a two-time Copa America winner, having competed in the 2021 and 2024 editions, while he played three games as Argentina won the FIFA World Cup 2022.
- The 39-time international has made 185 appearances for Leverkusen, finding the back of the net on 15 occasions. He was a member of the Leverkusen squad that won their maiden Bundesliga title in 2023/24.
- Palacios has been at Leverkusen longer than any other current player apart from Niklas Lomb, having joined in January 2020.
Exequiel Palacios was part of the Argentina squad that won the FIFA World Cup 2022. - IMAGO/Ulrich Hufnagel
Algeria
Mohamed Amoura (Wolfsburg)
- No player scored more goals than Amoura in African qualifying for this World Cup. He found the back of the net 10 times in as many matches, lifting his overall tally to 19 strikes in 45 caps.
- In 2024/25, Amoura was one of just three Bundesliga players to reach double figures for both goals and assists, alongside Michael Olise and Florian Wirtz.
- Amoura won the Belgian top flight with Union St. Gilloise, where both Victor Boniface and Deniz Undav impressed before making waves in the Bundesliga.
Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund)
- 2025/26 was Bensebaini's joint-most prolific season at club level as he scored seven goals in 32 games across all competitions.
- Should Algeria be involved in a penalty shoot-out, they will be glad to have Bensebaini on their side - he has netted all 14 spot-kicks he has taken for club and country.
- Bensebaini played six of Algeria's seven matches as they won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time in 2019. In total, he has 81 caps.
Ramy Bensebaini is yet to miss a penalty at senior level for club or country. - Valerio Pennicino
Farès Chaïbi (Eintracht Frankfurt)
- Born in France, Chaïbi ultimately chose to officially declare for Algeria at senior level in 2023. He now has 29 caps for the country, and played in every game of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as Algeria reached the quarter-finals.
- No Frankfurt player laid on more Bundesliga goals in 2025/26. Chaïbi's nine assists were four more than closest challenger Ritsu Dōan.
- In the 2023/24 UEFA Conference League, Chaïbi registered a competition-high five assists - despite Frankfurt's elimination in the play-off round.
Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen)
- Maza made his Algeria debut in October 2024 before scoring his first international goal against Sudan in the opening game of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
- Not only did that goal make him the youngest-ever Algerian to find the net in the competition, it was also the Fennecs' 100th goal in the history of the tournament.
- Born in Berlin, Maza represented Germany at youth level before deciding to play for Algeria's senior side.
- Last term - his first at Leverkusen - Maza won the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month in both November and April. He was one of only three players to claim the award throughout the season, alongside Yan Diomande and Luka Vušković.
Click here for the full list of Bundesliga/ Bundesliga 2 players at the World Cup
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