Argentina vs Austria: Messi Becomes World Cup Top Scorer in 2-0 Win
Updated 22 June 2026.
Argentina vs Austria at World Cup 2026 finished 2-0, Lionel Messi scoring either side of half-time to send Argentina through from Group J and become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. Messi’s goals on 38 minutes and deep into stoppage time took him to 18 World Cup goals, two clear of Miroslav Klose’s long-standing record, at Dallas Stadium in Arlington.
| Match facts | Detail |
|---|---|
| Result | Argentina 2-0 Austria |
| Competition | World Cup 2026, Group J |
| Venue | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas |
| Argentina scorer | Messi 38′, 90+5′ |
| Half-time | Argentina 1-0 Austria |
| Record | Messi reaches 18 World Cup goals, most by any player |
Argentina vs Austria World Cup 2026: how Messi made history
Messi settled it before half-time, getting on the end of a Facundo Medina pass to open the scoring on 38 minutes after seeing an earlier penalty effort fly wide in the ninth. Argentina controlled the game from there, and Messi added a second in the fifth minute of stoppage time to put the result beyond doubt. The brace took his World Cup tally to 18, surpassing Miroslav Klose’s 16 to make Messi the competition’s outright top scorer in history.
Austria, who had beaten Jordan in their opener, never found a foothold against an Argentina side already through to the knockout rounds on goal difference and games in hand. The defeat leaves their qualification in their own hands heading into the final round, still firmly alive but now needing a result against Algeria.
What it means for Group J
Argentina move to six points and have effectively wrapped up top spot in Group J, with a superior goal difference built on 3-0 and 2-0 wins. Austria sit on three points alongside Algeria, who beat Jordan in the day’s other Group J game, with goal difference separating the two heading into the decisive final round. ESPN confirmed Messi’s record after the win, reporting his 17th and 18th World Cup goals. Track the full picture on our group standings tracker and the live standings page, and see where Messi now sits on our top scorers tracker.
What is next
Both sides finish Group J in the final round, with kick-offs on our fixtures page and goals live on live scores. Revisit Argentina’s opener in our Argentina vs Algeria report and Austria’s in our Austria vs Jordan report, and see the full schedule in our complete World Cup 2026 guide.
Frequently asked questions
What was the score in Argentina vs Austria?
Argentina beat Austria 2-0 in their World Cup 2026 Group J match on 22 June at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with both goals scored by Lionel Messi.
How many World Cup goals does Messi have now?
Messi’s brace against Austria took him to 18 World Cup goals, two more than Miroslav Klose’s previous record of 16, making him the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.
Did Argentina qualify for the Round of 32?
The win puts Argentina in a very strong position at the top of Group J on six points, though the final round of group games is still to be played before qualification is confirmed.
Sources: 2026 FIFA World Cup Group J, ESPN match report and the FIFA match centre.
