With the goal of securing a spot in the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, Argentina faces Austria on Monday (8:00 p.m.) at Dallas Stadium.
Lionel Messi’s team is coming off a convincing 3-0 victory over Algeria, while the Austrians are looking to take another step toward their first appearance in the World Cup knockout stage since 1982.
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Countdown to the Panathinaikos derby
If there were any doubts about Argentina’s ability to contend for the world title once again, they were significantly dispelled after the victory over Algeria. The star of the show was Messi, who scored a hat trick and led his team to the top of Group 10.
The captain of the “Albiceleste” is now just one goal away from surpassing Miroslav Klose and becoming the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history; however, advancing to the next round remains the primary goal for Lionel Scaloni’s squad.
A win against Austria will mathematically secure their spot in the round of 32, while even a draw could prove sufficient for the South Americans. Argentina is in excellent form, with eight consecutive wins across all competitions, having shown balance in both defense and attack.
On the other hand, Austria also got off to a positive start in the tournament, defeating Jordan 3-1. Ralph Rangnick’s team struggled more than the final score suggests, as it took an own goal by Yazan Al-Arab in the 76th minute to take the lead, before Marco Arnautović sealed the final result with a penalty in stoppage time.
Despite the defensive weaknesses it showed at certain points in the match against Jordan, Austria remains one of the most consistent European teams in recent years. They have conceded more than one goal only once in their last 18 matches, and they possess the quality and discipline to give any opponent a tough time.
The Austrians are close to their first World Cup knockout-round appearance since 1982, a fact that takes on even greater significance when one considers that this is their first appearance in the tournament since 1998.
The two countries have faced each other only twice in the past. Argentina won 5-1 in 1980, while ten years later they drew 1-1 in a friendly match.
Possible starting lineups:
Argentina (Scaloni): Martínez – Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Medina – De Paul, McAllister, Fernández, Almada – Messi, Lautaro Martínez.
Austria (Rangnick): Schlager – Laimer, Linhart, Alaba, Muenne – Zaivald, Schlager – Schmidt, Chukwemecha, Zabitzer – Kalajdžić.
*photo source: AP
