Argentina secured a place in the World Cup knockout stage with a 2-0 win over Austria as Lionel Messi wrote a new chapter in the record books, his two sublime goals overshadowing an earlier missed penalty. The victory confirmed Argentina’s spot in the last 16 after their opening 3-0 win over Algeria, and it came largely on the back of Messi’s decisive moments.
The game began with two early chances, the second resulting in a penalty after two Austrian defenders brought down Argentina striker Lautaro Martínez in the box. Referee initially waved play on, but the Video Assistant Referee intervened and awarded the spot kick. When Messi stepped up, his penalty miss stunned the stadium and viewers worldwide, but it proved only a temporary setback.
Thirty-eight minutes into the match, Messi made amends with a perfectly placed right-foot finish from the right flank that sent the crowd into raptures. The goal pushed him to the top of the World Cup scoring list, a milestone that resonated with memories of another Argentine great — Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” moment on 22 June 1986 — as Messi continued to carve his own legacy.
The second half saw Austria shift to a more attacking approach rather than sitting back. They created one or two promising openings but failed to produce a clear-cut chance, and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez was only seriously tested once with a smart save from a free kick. Argentina had other opportunities but could not add to their tally until stoppage time.
As Austria pressed for an equaliser late on, Messi launched a counter and produced a brilliant finish in injury time to make it 2-0 — his 18th World Cup goal, according to the match report. The win confirmed Argentina’s progression, but the team’s dependence on Messi’s moments of magic, rather than consistent collective dominance, will be a consideration for coach Lionel Scaloni ahead of the knockout rounds.
Original Source: https://assam.nenow.in/messi-makes-history-as-argentinas-beat-austria-2-0-to-reach-knockout-rounds/
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Publish Date: 2026-06-23 07:51:00
