FIFA 2026: Lionel Messi Sets New Record As Argentina Beat Austria In Second Group Game

 

Argentina are guaranteed to qualify for the Last 16 after defeating Austria 2-0 with Lionel Messi scoring a brace in the second group game of the FIFA World Cup in Dallas, Texas. 

Argentina are the defending champions from Qatar 2022. Winning the second match is crucial to leading the table, and the Austrians could not hold them back. The Argentine striker, Messi, has extended his FIFA World Cup goal tally to 17, setting a new record as the all-time top scorer in the tournament's history.

Messi set the sail with the opener, finishing off a cut back from Facundo Medina from inside the penalty area in the 38th minute. He doubled the lead late into the closing minutes of the second half, blasting home a rebound effort from inside the six-yard box. 

Earlier, the striker missed a penalty drawn from a tackle on Lautaro Martinez inside the box. Afterwards, he missed finishing a scoring opportunity inside the penalty area before eventually breaking the deadlock. 

Argentina now lead Group J with six points. They will face Jordan in the next match, while Austria will face Algeria. 

Overview 

The match was dominated by Argentina, who could have won by a wider margin had Messi scored from the penalty. The  Austrians were no match for the Argentines, even though they seemed composed in defending their box. Lionel Messi was a standout and singlehandedly delivered the victory to the side. 

Austria's attackers lacked the intensity that can really put the Argentine defense to work. On average, they did their best. As it seems, they still stand a better chance of making it to the knockout stages. However, this game was not such that they would have won. 

Chances and Defense 

Argentina momentarily opened the Austrian's defense after Messi missed a penalty. They left the box widely opened for Messi upon the fast break, leading to Medina's cutback from the left. It was Argentina's finest scoring opportunities of the first half besides the missed penalty. 

Martinez was also a standout, creating an assist for Messi that could have set him off to score the opener shortly after the penalty. The Austrian side did a good job at double-marking to keep the ball out of danger.