Argentina vs Austria

Argentina cruised to a 2-0 win over Austria at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, with Lionel Messi capping the match by breaking the all-time World Cup scoring record. The defending champions started nervously, Messi missed an early penalty, firing wide in the ninth minute. He made amends at 38', slotting home a low finish after a cutback from Facundo Medina. Deep in stoppage time he pounced on a rebound after Julian Alvarez's shot was parried by keeper Alexander Schlager, claiming his 18th World Cup goal and surpassing Miroslav Klose's long-standing record. No red cards, no real controversy, just class. Austria defended with discipline, David Alaba marshalling the backline well, but the gulf in quality told in the end. Argentina advance to the knockout stage with a perfect Group J record. Austria must now rely on results elsewhere to keep their tournament alive.