Lionel Messi guided Argentina into the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Argentine superstar scored both goals in La Albiceleste’s victory over Austria in their second Group J match at Dallas Stadium, Texas, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
The number 10 found the net in the 38th and 90+5th minutes. He could have completed a hat-trick after being awarded a penalty in the ninth minute, but his spot kick went wide of the Austrian goal.
The victory secured three points for Argentina, keeping them comfortably at the top of Group J with six points. Austria remain second with three points. Algeria are third, also with three points, following their 2-1 win over Jordan.
With his two goals, Messi became the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history. He now has 18 goals in 28 World Cup appearances, surpassing the previous record held by German striker Miroslav Klose, who scored 16 goals in 24 matches.
“I missed a penalty today, but maybe I wouldn’t have scored the other goals if that penalty had gone in,” said Messi, who will turn 39 on June 24.
His five goals at the 2026 World Cup also place him at the top of the tournament’s scoring chart, one goal ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappé and Norway’s Erling Haaland, who both have four goals.
“I honestly don’t know. I don’t even remember everything very clearly. I’m tired, my energy is almost gone, and it’s difficult to think clearly. I just want to enjoy this moment and celebrate it with my teammates,” Messi said when asked which of his World Cup goals was his favorite.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni praised Messi’s mentality. He admitted that Messi’s missed penalty early in the first half briefly affected the team.
Nevertheless, Scaloni was pleased with how Messi responded, showing determination and inspiring his teammates on the field.
“When he’s motivated, everyone else becomes motivated too. I think that’s one of the strengths of this team. Even today, when we struggled to control possession, he kept working hard and managed to score. You can see his commitment,” Scaloni said.
Meanwhile, Austria coach Ralf Rangnick believed his team performed as expected. According to him, Austria’s inability to stop Argentina’s deadly counterattacks proved decisive.
“The way the two goals were scored, through counterattacks, was very disappointing. But overall, it was a good performance from us,” Rangnick said.
Algeria Earn First Victory
In the other Group J match, Algeria claimed their first win of the tournament by defeating Jordan 2-1 at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
Jordan took the lead in the 36th minute when Nizar Al Rashdan fired a shot from outside the penalty area.
Algeria equalized in the 69th minute through a header from Hicham Boudaoui before Amine Gouiri scored the winner with a close-range finish in the 82nd minute.
“I don’t know if we’ve shown our true face yet, but we played better than we did against Argentina. We conceded a goal, but we showed mental resilience and gradually improved. This match will be very beneficial for us,” said Algeria forward Amine Gouiri.
The win moves Algeria into third place with three points, while Jordan remain at the bottom of the group and are now eliminated from contention for a place in the knockout stage.
Algeria will face Austria in a decisive final group match on Sunday, while Jordan will take on defending champions Argentina on the same day.***
