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.