World Cup 2026 Corner: Messi Breaks Record as Argentina Beat Austria

 

Defending champions Argentina continued their strong World Cup 2026 campaign by securing a second consecutive victory in Group J. La Albiceleste defeated Austria 2-0, with Lionel Messi once again stealing the spotlight by scoring both goals and breaking Miroslav Klose's long-standing World Cup scoring record.

 

Messi Breaks World Cup Scoring Record as Argentina Beat Austria

After opening their campaign with a 3-0 victory over Algeria, Argentina were eager to secure another three points against Austria. Lionel Scaloni's side started brightly and nearly took the lead early on after being awarded a penalty, but Messi failed to convert from the spot.

The missed penalty did little to affect the Inter Miami superstar, who continued to drive Argentina forward and eventually broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. The goal was a historic one as it saw Messi surpass Miroslav Klose's record of 16 World Cup goals, making him the tournament's all-time leading scorer.

It was far from an easy encounter, however, as Austria produced a spirited performance and caused several problems for Argentina's back line throughout the match. Nevertheless, Scaloni's men remained composed and eventually sealed the victory late on when Messi grabbed his second goal of the game, extending his World Cup record tally to 18 goals.

The win leaves La Albiceleste comfortably on top of Group J with six points, three ahead of Austria. Argentina have all but secured qualification for the knockout stage and could officially clinch top spot if Algeria defeat Jordan later today.

Argentina will conclude their group-stage campaign against Jordan, while Austria are set to face Algeria.

Match Notes

Argentina

La Albiceleste once again produced a solid display, with their quick and direct attacking play creating plenty of opportunities for Messi in advanced areas.

Despite the victory, Scaloni may still want to improve the team's defensive solidity, as Austria managed to create several dangerous situations.

Everything looks positive for Argentina, but stronger opposition in the knockout rounds will provide a much sterner test.

Austria

After a difficult opening 10 minutes, Austria settled into the game well and managed to cause problems for Argentina.

However, Das Team may need to better manage their aggressive approach, as it occasionally left them exposed defensively.

Their high pressing often created spaces at the back, something opponents could exploit in future matches.

 

🇦🇷 Argentina 2-0 Austria 🇦🇹

World Cup 2026 – Group J

Stat	Argentina	Austria
Possession	58%	42%
Total Shots (On Target)	17 (8)	11 (4)
Expected Goals (xG)	2.42	0.96
Dangerous Attacks	59	37
Yellow Cards	2	3
Red Cards	0	0