Lionel Messi secured his place in the knockout stage by breaking his World Cup scoring record as Argentina beat Austria 2-0 in Dallas.
Messi missed an early penalty after VAR intervened for a foul on Lautaro Martinez, but the 38-year-old Argentina captain could not be denied for long and scored with a trademark finish from Facundo Medina’s low cross in the first half.
Messi’s first goal took him to 17 goals at the World Cup, surpassing Miroslav Klose as the top scorer in the tournament’s history. After scoring a hat-trick against Algeria, he has scored five goals, including a second in added time, in just two Group J games.
Austria, who defeated Jordan in the opening match, showed aggressive performance in the final third even if they lacked some quality, and still expects to have a chance of advancing. But it is the holders who will top Group J and look set to top the table to defend their trophy.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi runs away in joy after scoring the first goal.
Big moments in Dallas…
9 – Penalty miss! Messi missed the goal with his penalty kick.
20 – Messi passes but delays the shot and the opportunity is lost.
23 – Mercy’s efforts are thwarted by Romero due to the Austrian threat.
31 – Messi’s shot at Martinez is blocked by Danso.
38 – target! Medina’s cross finds Messi who throws low towards the net.
57 – Romero suffers a knee injury and is replaced by Otamendi.
90+6: target! Messi forces the ball in at the second attempt.
Messi shows anger over penalty kick
lionel messi After Argentina won 2-0, he said:
“More than anything, I’m so happy that we won. It was huge, tough and difficult. It gave me peace of mind about what’s ahead. Every game in this World Cup was very even and very close.”
“I’m enjoying the moment and I want to enjoy it with my teammates. There were moments when I was really angry about missing the penalty, but I was able to make up for it.”
Analysis: Messi’s show continues
Four of Messi’s 18 World Cup goals came from penalties, but it may have been more fitting that his record-breaking effort came that way. A late run into the box picked out by a smart full-back is dispatched low to the near corner. Vintage mesh.
He is a different player now. But that’s not really surprising. In fact, with the pace slowing down and soon to be 39 years old, the chances of him being able to do what he does are even slimmer. He became the first player in half a century to score in six consecutive World Cup games.
Much has been made of how this team is put together to serve him. But the tactic works. This policy is proving less successful for Portugal, while Spain could see more of Lamine Yamal than it does now. Argentina has found the sweet spot.
Lionel Messi scored twice as Argentina played their remaining matches in Group J.
Lionel Messi’s shot map from Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria
This was not Messi’s best performance in this World Cup, but he was still able to score 5 goals. And this was a test. He has been in rare form recently against European opponents. The Austrian team, led by Ralf Rangnick, also played a physical and pressing game.
It was an awkward situation at times for Messi and Argentina. Against Algeria, there was no space given to him. Sometimes, as soon as he received the ball, five Austrian players would circle around him. But that meant there was space elsewhere. He found it.
Lionel Messi’s touch map during Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria
Here you get a first pass, there you struggle for free. He opened the pitch for a penalty shootout, a miss and the first goal he scored. Argentina passed the test. History made by Messi. There are now 18 goals left, how many more can we score before the curtain comes down?
A place in the knockout stages has already been booked, but it would be a shock if Messi doesn’t get another chance to score against Jordan. What does the person who has it all get? Maybe the Golden Boot? The Messi show continues.
What the results mean…
If Argentina takes first place in Group J, it will face second place in Group H (currently Uruguay) in the round of 32.
