Argentina 2–0 Austria: Messi Misses a Penalty, Then Wins It Twice Over

Lionel Messi endured an uncharacteristic miss from the penalty spot inside the opening ten minutes, then made sure it would not matter, scoring twice as Argentina eased past a stubborn Austria 2–0 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

The reigning champions had the chance to take an early lead when they won a ninth-minute penalty, but Messi's effort was kept out — a rare blemish that briefly lifted Austrian hopes.

Messi Makes Amends

Any nerves were settled on 38 minutes. Messi, inevitably, was the man to do it, finishing Facundo Medina's pass to give Argentina a deserved half-time lead.

Austria dug in after the break and limited the openings, but they could not find a way back into the game. Messi had the final word in the 90th minute, rounding off the win with his second of the night and his side's most clinical moment.

Group J Picture

Victory makes it a perfect six points from two matches for Argentina, who sit top of Group J and on the brink of the Round of 32. Austria, beaten for the first time, drop to three points and will need a result in their final group game to be sure of progressing.

Follow Argentina's World Cup 2026 title defence live on KickD — real-time scores, goal alerts, and Group J standings updated every 60 seconds.

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