Messi, Argentina play Austria in World Cup group match: All to know

The 2026 World Cup volition person 13 antithetic kickoff times. You tin usage the Al Jazeera Sport widget to find retired precisely erstwhile your squad is playing successful your section time.

Who: Argentina vs Austria
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J match
Where: Dallas Stadium, Dallas, Texas
When: Monday, 12pm section clip (17:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 14:00 GMT successful beforehand of our unrecorded substance commentary stream.

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Hat-trick hero Lionel Messi volition beryllium backmost successful enactment connected Monday arsenic defending World Cup champions Argentina look Austria successful their 2nd Group J lucifer successful Dallas, US.

Messi proved that property is conscionable a fig arsenic helium stunned the satellite with yet much magic against Algeria successful Kansas City. The 38-year-old, who is making his sixth World Cup appearance, scored each 3 goals arsenic Argentina eased past their North African opponents.

Austria should beryllium to beryllium sterner absorption for the South American giants, with Ralf Rangnick’s broadside beating Jordan successful their opening radical game.

Both sides get successful Kansas City knowing that a triumph volition each but unafraid their spot successful the knockout stages.

Lionel Messi scored his first-ever hat-trick successful a FIFA tourney during Argentina’s opener against Algeria [Claudia Greco/Reuters]

Magic Messi shines again

Lionel Messi inspired Argentina’s rubric defence with a hat-trick successful their opening lucifer astatine this tournament, drafting level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose arsenic the all-time starring scorer successful World Cup history.

His 3 goals marked his first-ever hat-trick astatine a FIFA tournament, and the Argentinian superstar adjacent had 1 different effort ruled retired for offside. He present sits connected 16 World Cup goals.

The iconic Argentinian fig 10, who spent the bulk of his nine vocation successful Spain with Barcelona earlier moving to French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), present plies his commercialized successful the US football’s Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.

His quality against Algeria was the 200th of his planetary career, which began successful 2005 astatine the property of 18.

Despite his hat-trick heroics against the North African side, Algeria person complained that Messi should person been sent disconnected for lasting connected the calf of their captain, Aissa Mandi. They person since lodged a ceremonial ailment to FIFA’s refereeing commission.

Austria’s Marko Arnautovic celebrates aft scoring against Jordan [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters]

Austria alert of threats beyond Messi

In the build-up to this encounter, Austria skipper David Alaba has stressed that Argentina’s prime extends good beyond their talismanic midfielder.

“We cognize what benignant of hostile we’re up against, what benignant of prime they person successful their ranks, adjacent too Messi, but besides what they’re susceptible of arsenic a team,” helium told reporters.

Austria volition anticipation their organised pressing crippled tin disrupt Argentina’s bushed and fortify their credentials arsenic imaginable radical winners.

The European broadside yet ran retired 3-1 winners against Jordan successful their opening Group J match, with seasoned striker Marko Arnautovic scoring a 102nd-minute punishment to seal the win.

Argentina assistant manager Pablo Aimar warned that Austria would airs a antithetic situation to Algeria, describing Rangnick’s broadside arsenic a carnal squad susceptible of causing problems despite Argentina’s awesome start.

“Austria is simply a precise pugnacious team, arsenic we’re seeing with the immense bulk of the teams participating successful this World Cup,” helium said successful a FIFA interview.

Argentina vs Austria prediction

Stats supplier Opta’s supercomputer has made Argentina dense favourites for this match, giving them a 60.1 percent accidental of winning against Austria.

The gully is ranked astatine 22.4 percent, with Austria fixed conscionable a 17.6 percent accidental of beating the defending champions.

Opta presently fertile Argentina arsenic the 4th favourites to triumph the World Cup.

(Al Jazeera)

Argentina vs Austria: Livestream, kickoff time

• Argentina: Telefe, TV Publica, and TyC Sports (2pm Argentina Time)
• Austria: ORF and ServusTV (7pm, Central European Summer Time)
• United Kingdom: BBC One and BBC iPlayer (6pm, British Summer Time)
• United States: Fox Sports and Telemundo (1pm US Eastern Daylight Time)

How does Group J stand?

Argentina, Austria, Algeria and Jordan are successful Group J.

Argentina and Austria some person 3 points, with Argentina starring the mode connected extremity difference.

Jordan and Algeria stay pointless, with the Middle East federation 3rd and Algeria bottom.

The apical 2 teams from each of the 12 groups – on with the 8 champion third-placed teams – proceed to the adjacent phase, the circular of 32, which has been introduced astatine the World Cup for the archetypal time.

Form guide

(Last 5 games, latest effect first)

Argentina: W-W-W-W-W

Austria: W-W-W-W-D

Both teams are successful good signifier heading into this fixture.

Argentina person won their past 8 matches, keeping a cleanable expanse successful each but 1 of those games.

Austria, meanwhile, are besides enjoying a beardown streak, winning each of their pre-World Cup friendlies.

Argentina vs Austria: Head-to-head

These 2 sides person ne'er met successful a competitory fixture before.

Their lone 2 erstwhile meetings person travel successful friendlies successful Vienna, with Argentina winning 5-1 successful 1980 and a 1-1 gully 10 years later.

Argentina’s Gonzalo Montiel successful enactment with Algeria’s Rayan Ait Nouri [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]

Team news

Gonzalo Montiel is simply a uncertainty for Argentina, with the right-back suffering from a hamstring issue. Nahuel Molina is apt to instrumentality his spot if helium misses out.

Austria besides person issues astatine right-back, with Stefan Posch improbable to diagnostic owed to a breached jaw.

Marko Arnautovic volition propulsion to commencement successful onslaught aft coming disconnected the seat against Jordan.

Argentina predicted lineup:

Emi Martinez (goalkeeper); Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Facundo Medina; Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Thiago Almada; Lionel Messi (captain), Lautaro Martinez.

Austria predicted lineup:

Alexander Schlager (goalkeeper); Konrad Laimer, Philipp Lienhart, David Alaba (captain), Philipp Mwene; Nicolas Seiwald, Xaver Schlager; Romano Schmid, Carney Chukwuemeka, Marcel Sabitzer; Sasa Kalajdzic.