Messi's Goals Take Argentina to Next Round of World Cup

Argentina is through to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after beating Austria 2-0 in a tight Group J match on Monday.

The match took place at Dallas Stadium in Dallas, United States.

From the start, Argentina had most of the ball and created many chances against a well-organized Austrian team.

Lionel Messi, the captain, led Argentina's attack and was key to their offensive play throughout the game.

Argentina almost scored early when they got a penalty in the first half.

Messi took the penalty, but the Austrian goalkeeper saved it.

This miss gave Austria a boost, and they tried to frustrate Argentina's attackers.

Despite this setback, Argentina kept pushing forward and got their reward in the 38th minute.

Messi made up for his missed penalty by scoring after a great pass from Facundo Medina.

This goal gave Argentina a 1-0 lead at halftime and made Messi the highest goal scorer in World Cup history with 17 goals.

In the second half, Austria showed they were determined to come back into the game.

They defended well and created a few chances on counterattacks, but Argentina's defense stayed strong and did not give them clear opportunities.

As the match went on, Argentina controlled the midfield and stopped Austria from building any real pressure.

Argentina continued to create chances but could not add to their lead for most of the second half.

Just when it looked like Austria would keep the score close, Messi scored again in stoppage time.

In the 90+5th minute, Messi calmly finished another attack to score his second goal of the night, sealing a 2-0 win for Argentina.

This goal took Messi's total at the World Cup to 18 goals.

The match also saw some tough tackles, with both teams getting yellow cards from the referee.

Austria’s Kevin Danso was booked for a reckless challenge, and Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul also received a yellow card during the match.

Messi’s two goals and his overall performance were key as Argentina secured all three points.

This victory helped Argentina qualify for the next round, while Austria needs to win their remaining matches to keep their World Cup dreams alive.