Argentina defeated Austria 2-0 in their Group J match at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Monday thanks to two goals from Lionel Messi, guaranteeing the reigning champions a spot in the knockout stage.
Messi also broke records with his brace. The Argentine captain became the all-time leading goalscorer in men's FIFA World Cup history, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose. With his first goal, he surpassed Klose's 16-goal record, and his second goal of the evening increased his World Cup total to 18. The top player now shares the record with Brazil's Jairzinho and France's Just Fontaine, having scored in six straight World Cup games.

After missing a penalty that was granted in the sixth minute after a VAR review, the 38-year-old had a miserable start. Argentina was hampered for the majority of the first half by Austria's vigorous pressing game in response.
But in the 38th minute, Messi broke the impasse. The veteran forward calmly tucked the ball into the bottom corner to put Argentina ahead after Thiago Almada's deft deception enabled the ball to get through to him.
After halftime, Austria persisted in trying to equalize, but Argentina successfully controlled the match. Around the hour mark, as the game began, head coach Lionel Scaloni inserted Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Gonzalez.Argentina scored once more far into stoppage time as Austria committed more men forward in an attempt to score. In the ninetieth minute, Messi completed his brace and sealed the win with a clinical finish after spearheading a quick counterattack.
Messi became the all-time top goalscorer in the history of the men's FIFA World Cup with the two goals. His first goal put him ahead of Germany's Miroslav Klose, and his second goal increased his World Cup total to eighteen.
Argentina advanced to the top of Group J with six points from two games and maintained their flawless tournament start with a 3-0 victory against Algeria.Scaloni commended Messi's dedication and impact following the game, emphasizing the forward's effort and contribution when Argentina was under duress.He was able to steal the ball when the squad was struggling without it. His level of dedication was evident," Scaloni remarked.
The Argentina coach also noted the difficulty Austria presented and praised his team for persevering through challenging moments in the match.The team did suffer today; we didn't have possession and they occasionally caused problems. As a squad, we are commendable for knowing how to suffer," he remarked.