Lionel Messi missed from the penalty spot early, then spent the rest of the afternoon making sure it barely mattered.
Argentina beat Austria 2-0 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with Messi scoring in the 38th minute and again in stoppage time to send the defending champion into the World Cup knockout rounds. The result kept Argentina on top of Group J and gave Lionel Scaloni’s side the kind of controlled win that matters more than the scoreline alone.
The match could have opened even faster. Lautaro Martínez drew a penalty after a VAR review, but Messi pulled his ninth-minute attempt wide to the right. Austria survived that moment and kept the match uncomfortable for long stretches, but Argentina kept finding the cleaner looks and eventually turned one transition into the goal that changed the day.
Facundo Medina supplied the pass in the 38th minute, Thiago Almada let it run, and Messi finished with his left foot from the center of the box. It was the kind of goal Argentina needed: direct, sharp and unbothered by the missed penalty that might have made the first half drift.
Messi turns control into history
Messi’s second came in the fifth minute of stoppage time, a left-footed finish from the left side of the six-yard box after another fast break. The goals were his 17th and 18th at the World Cup, moving him beyond Miroslav Klose’s long-standing men’s tournament mark after he had already tied Klose against Algeria in Argentina’s opener. He also moved to 18 individual World Cup wins, another measure of how long Argentina’s era with Messi has stretched.
Argentina finished with 12 shots, five on target and 53.6 percent possession. Austria had six shots, only one on target, and never turned its spells on the ball into enough danger. Marcel Sabitzer came closest to changing the match for Austria, forcing Emiliano Martínez into a second-half save and sending another effort just wide, but Argentina’s defense kept the game from becoming chaotic.
That will matter to Argentina almost as much as Messi’s goals. The early penalty miss could have created tension. Austria’s compact shape could have made the match awkward. Instead, Argentina stayed patient, used the second half to manage risk, then ended the match with the same player who has defined so much of its World Cup story.
Argentina close group play against Jordan on Saturday. Austria leave Arlington needing help and a final-matchday response, while Argentina can start thinking about the knockout round with qualification already secured and Messi still deciding games on his own terms.
