Lionel Messi continues to find the net as Argentina maintain their winning momentum. In their second Group Stage fixture of World Cup 2026, the defending champions secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Austria to guarantee their place in the knockout rounds with a game to spare.

The headline story of the evening once again revolved around Messi, who not only orchestrated the victory but officially established himself as the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, eclipsing the long-standing record held by Germany's Miroslav Klose.

Argentina asserted their dominance during the opening exchanges, electing to bypass the midfield with direct, vertical attacking transitions from the first whistle. The pressure yielded immediate results in the fourth minute when Lautaro Martínez was brought down inside the penalty area following a clumsy challenge from two Austrian defenders. After a lengthy VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot. The stadium held its breath in anticipation of a historic moment, but Messi uncharacteristically dragged his penalty wide of the target.

Both sides required a period of readjustment following the missed spot-kick. It was Ralf Rangnick's Austria who initially appeared to settle quicker, gradually pushing their defensive line higher and establishing territory in the Argentine half, though they failed to test the opposition goalkeeper. The breakthrough arrived in the 38th minute when Messi found pockets of space on the edge of the area, capitalising on a defensive lapse before drilling a precise finish into the corner and claiming his historic 17th World Cup goal.

The second half was a masterclass in game management from the holders. While Austria attempted to commit bodies forward, Argentina remained defensively compact and continually threatened on the counter-attack. Rangnick’s side created only one clear opening to level the score, with the Argentine goalkeeper producing a fine fingertip save to tip a powerful Marcel Sabitzer effort over the crossbar.

Argentina eventually put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time. Messi initiated a swift counter-attack, releasing Julián Álvarez through on goal. While the Austrian goalkeeper denied the initial effort, the talismanic Argentina captain followed up the rebound to slot home his second of the night.

The victory ensures Lionel Scaloni's coaching staff can heavily rotate their squad and rest key players for their final group match before the knockout stages begin. Conversely, Austria now face a defining must-win encounter against Algeria to keep their tournament alive.

World Cup 2026

Argentina - Austria 2:0 (1:0)
Goals: Messi, 38 (1:0); Messi, 95 (2:0)

Argentina: Martinez E.; Martínez Li.; Romero C. (Otamendi, 57); Medina F. (Tagliafico, 82); Molina N.; Fernandez E.; De Paul (Paredes L., 81); Mac Allister A.; Almada (Gonzalez N., 64); Martínez L. (Álvarez Jul., 64); Messi
Substitution: Otamendi (from 57); Gonzalez N. (from 64); Álvarez Jul. (from 64); Paredes L. (from 81); Tagliafico (from 82)
Bench: Musso; Rulli; Barco; Senesi; Montiel; Lo Celso; Palacios Ex.; Nico Paz; López José; Simeone G-o
Yellow Cards: Medina F. 76; Paredes L. 92

Austria: Schlager A.; Posch (Prass, 67); Alaba (Friedl, 67); Danso; Schlager X.; Seiwald N.; Sabitzer; Schmid R. (Wimmer P., 78); Laimer; Wanner P. (Arnautovic, 67); Gregoritsch (Chukwuemeka C., 85)
Substitution: Friedl (from 67); Prass (from 67); Arnautovic (from 67); Wimmer P. (from 78); Chukwuemeka C. (from 85)
Bench: Wiegele; Pentz; Svoboda; Affengruber; Lienhart; Mwene; Ljubicic D.; Grillitsch; Schöpf; Kalajdzic
Yellow Cards: Posch 40; Laimer 76