Argentina booked their place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Austria, inspired by a historic brace from .
The match had all the drama expected from the Argentine captain. Messi missed an early penalty in the ninth minute, wasting what could have been an immediate record-breaking opportunity. However, the 38-year-old forward made amends in style.
After a tense opening, Messi came close again in the 19th minute when Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager denied him with a sharp save. But in the 38th minute, the breakthrough finally arrived.
Following a swift attacking move initiated by Thiago Almada and a low cross from Facundo Medina, Messi struck with his first touch to put Argentina ahead.
That goal saw Messi surpass as the outright highest scorer in World Cup history, adding another remarkable chapter to his legendary career.
Argentina maintained their attacking dominance in the second half, with Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, and Lautaro Martinez constantly troubling Austria’s defense. Austria had their best chance in the 54th minute, but goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez produced a strong save to deny Marcel Sabitzer’s powerful effort.
Messi sealed the victory deep into stoppage time. In the 90+5th minute, he started the move himself with a precise midfield pass to Julian Alvarez. Although Alvarez’s initial shot was saved, Messi reacted quickly to the rebound and smashed home his second goal of the night.
The brace took Messi’s World Cup tally to 18 goals, further extending his record. He had already nettedma hat-trick in Argentina’s opening match against Algeria.
With two wins from two matches and six points, Argentina have officially advanced to the Round of 32. The defending champions now sit top of Group J and could secure the group title early depending on the result of Jordan’s clash against Algeria.
