Lionel Messi’s brace secured Argentina’s victory over Austria and a place in the 2026 World Cup play-offs
The Argentina national team defeated Austria in their second Group J match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, USA, ended 2–0.
Right at the start of the match, Argentina were awarded a penalty after Stefan Posch fouled Lautaro Martínez in the penalty area.
However, Argentina captain Lionel Messi failed to convert the spot-kick in the 9th minute, missing the target.
In the 38th minute, Messi made amends. The forward finished off a cross from Facundo Medina on the left flank with a first-time shot from the centre of the penalty area to open the scoring.
This goal was a historic one for the Argentine. Messi moved into first place among the all-time top scorers in World Cup history. It was his 17th World Cup goal, putting him ahead of former Germany striker Miroslav Klose, who has 16 goals.
In stoppage time, in the 90+5th minute, Messi scored his second goal of the match and broke his own record. He now has 18 World Cup goals to his name.
In the opening match, Argentina thrashed Algeria 3–0 thanks to a hat-trick from Messi. Meanwhile, Austria beat Jordan 3–1.
After two matches, Argentina top Group J with six points and have secured their place in the knockout stages. Austria are in second place with three points. Jordan and Algeria remain without any points so far.
The 2026 World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July across three countries: the USA, Mexico and Canada.
This is the first World Cup to feature 48 national teams. All teams are divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group, as well as the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 16.
