FIFA World Cup 2026: Messi "very happy" after firing Argentina into knockouts with 2-0 win over Austria
Texas, June 23
Lionel Messi expressed his delight after scoring a record-breaking brace to lead defending champions Argentina to a 2-0 victory over a resilient Austria side in their Group J match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Monday, June 22, sealing their place in the knockout stage.
With his brace, Messi not only secured victory for his side but also rewrote the record books by becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in men's FIFA World Cup history ahead of his 39th birthday on June 24, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose. He opened the scoring in the 38th minute to move past Klose's tally of 16 goals and later added another in stoppage time to take his overall World Cup tally to 18 goals, two ahead of the German legend.
Speaking after the match, according to Goal.com, Messi said he was very happy with the win, calling it a tough and hard-fought encounter. He added that the result gives Argentina confidence for what lies ahead in the tournament.
"The truth is, I am very happy for the win above all. It was a very important, very tough, and hard-fought victory. It gives us peace of mind for what is to come. This is the World Cup; all games are very equal and very intense," he said as quoted by Goal.com.
"The truth is that it is spectacular how it happened," Messi said while talking about his record.
Notably, the Argentine captain endured a frustrating start to the match after missing a penalty in the sixth minute, sending his effort wide following a VAR-awarded spot kick.
Messi said he missed a penalty but felt it didn't affect the outcome, as things might have turned out differently if he had scored it. He added that he is happy with the result, his contribution, and the team's overall performance.
"Today I had the penalty that I could have increased the score with, but if I had made the penalty, perhaps I wouldn't have reached the other two either. You never know, but I'm happy with the result, the participation, and the work of the team," he said.
Earlier in the tournament, Messi scored a sensational hat-trick to power Argentina to a 3-0 win over Algeria in both teams' campaign opener.
Messi said Argentina aimed to win both matches, but expected them to be difficult and closely contested. He noted Austria didn't trouble them much, though the game required quick play at times. He stressed that qualification was the key objective and said Argentina will be ready to face any opponent.
"It was in our plans to have the two victories. It wasn't going to be easy because they are very equal matches and nobody gives anything away. It's true that they didn't hurt us. It was a very difficult match, we had to play very fast and at times we did. The important thing was the classification. We are Argentina and we are going to look for matches against any opponent," Messi said.
Messi has also become just the second player in men's FIFA World Cup history to score four or more goals in three different editions of the tournament (2014, 2022 and 2026), according to Opta. The only other player to achieve the feat is Klose.
Notably, the two goals also propelled Messi to the top of the scoring charts in the ongoing World Cup, with five goals in just two matches. He had entered the fixture on the back of a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina's opening encounter.
Coming to the match, the Argentine captain endured a frustrating start after missing a penalty in the sixth minute, sending his effort wide following a VAR-awarded spot kick. Austria responded with an energetic pressing display and troubled the defending champions for much of the first half.
However, Messi broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. A clever dummy from Thiago Almada allowed the ball to run through to the veteran forward, who calmly finished into the bottom corner to give Argentina the lead.
Austria continued to push after the break, but Argentina managed the game well through a series of tactical substitutions from head coach Lionel Scaloni around the 64th and 65th minutes, introducing fresh legs in Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Gonzalez to exploit spaces as the match opened up.
As Austria committed players forward in search of an equaliser, Argentina struck again deep into stoppage time. Messi led a swift counter-attack and finished clinically in the 95th minute to seal a 2-0 victory and complete his brace.
The 38-year-old has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches and has equalled the all-time record of six straight World Cup games with a goal, a mark jointly held by France's Just Fontaine and Brazil's Jairzinho.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Brilliant performance from Messi and Argentina. The way they managed the game after the missed penalty was impressive. Austria played well but couldn't match the quality of the champions. Looking forward to seeing how far they go this time.
Honestly, I feel for Austria. They worked hard, pressed well, and didn't let Argentina have an easy game. But then Messi happens. 😅 It's like watching history unfold in real time. Argentina are looking like serious contenders for back-to-back titles!
As a neutral fan, I have to admit Messi's longevity is remarkable. But Argentina's midfield looked a bit disjointed at times. Scaloni's substitutions were smart, but against stronger teams, that early penalty miss could have cost them. Still, credit where it's due - Messi delivered when it mattered.
I remember watching the 2022 final with my whole family and now seeing Messi still doing this at 38... it's like poetry! 🥹 The way he said 'I am happy with the result, the participation, and the work of the team' shows what a team player he is. Argentina for the win! 🇦🇷
Respect to Messi for bouncing back from that penalty miss. But let's be real - Argentina were not at their best tonight. Austria troubled them more than the scoreline suggests. They'll need to raise their level against the European powerhouses in the knockout stages. Still, getting through is all that matters at this stage.
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