Argentina Reaches 2026 World Cup Knockout Stage via Messi Double

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Argentina national football team secured a victory over Austria in their second-round match of the 2026 World Cup group stage, guaranteeing themselves an early spot in the knockout phase. The encounter, held in the American city of Arlington, Texas, ended with a score of 2-0 in favor of the reigning world champions.

The main hero of the confrontation was once again the Argentine captain Lionel Messi, who scored a brace. The forward opened the scoring in the 38th minute, and in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time (90+5), he established the final result. Earlier in the game, in the 9th minute, Messi missed an opportunity to score from the 11-meter mark after failing to convert a penalty kick.

Thanks to this success, Lionel Scaloni's team has earned six out of six possible points and consolidated its position at the top of the Group J standings. Austria occupies second place with 3 points. The national teams of Jordan and Algeria, who have not yet earned any points, will hold their head-to-head match of the second round on the night of 23 June 2026.

In the final round of the group stage, which is scheduled for 28 June 2026, the Argentina national team will meet Jordan, while the Austrians will play against Algeria. As a reminder, the current world championship is being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The tournament, featuring 48 national teams in a new expanded format, will last until 19 July 2026.