Group J World Cup action unfolded at Dallas’ host stadium on June 22, bringing defending champions Argentina up against a confident Austria side in a matchup that promised high stakes and competitive football. Argentina had kicked off their tournament with a win against Algeria, while Austria entered the match off a dominant opening outing against Jordan, setting the stage for a tightly contested battle that lived up to its pre-match hype. When the final whistle blew, it was Argentina that walked away with a 2-0 victory, secured by two late goals from captain Lionel Messi.
The defending champions came out of the gate flying, pushing hard for an early opening goal to take control of the match. That early opportunity arrived in just the 4th minute, when Inter striker Lautaro Martinez was brought down by two Austrian defenders inside the penalty area. Though the on-field referee initially allowed play to continue, a review from the video assistant referee (VAR) overturned the call and awarded Argentina a penalty. Messi stepped up to take the spot kick, but in an uncharacteristic miss, he sent the ball wide of the goal, leaving the scoreline deadlocked.
Argentina continued to press through the opening half, with another clear chance coming in the 19th minute, when Messi broke into Austria’s 18-yard box only for defender Kevin Danso to make a well-timed intervention to snuff out the danger. Austria, for their part, pushed forward on the counter and put consistent pressure on Argentina’s backline, but failed to convert that pressure into clear-cut chances, with final passes consistently missing their target or shots failing to materialize.
Another dangerous Argentina attacking buildup in the 36th minute ended with a cross that floated into empty space between the defense and goalkeeper, but three minutes later, the deadlock was finally broken. At the end of a sustained Argentina attacking sequence, Messi found himself on the end of a pass inside the box and made no mistake this time, firing home a clean finish to put his side up 1-0, a score that held through halftime.
After the break, Austria shifted into a more attacking gear in search of an equalizer, putting together some promising build-up play but still failing to test Argentina’s goalkeeper or create a clear scoring opportunity. Argentina controlled the pace of the second half, managing the game without taking unnecessary risks as they hunted for a decisive second goal to seal the win. In the 73rd minute, substitute Nicolás Gonzalez had a golden chance to double the lead, meeting a Messi corner kick with a header that went just inches wide of the post.
For the rest of regulation, both sides mustered only half-chances, and it looked as though the match would end with Argentina holding on to a narrow 1-0 win. But in the final minute of stoppage time, Messi delivered one final moment of magic, slotting home a falling finish to double Argentina’s lead and put the match out of reach. The 2-0 win gives Argentina six points from their first two group stage matches, officially securing their spot in the knockout round of the tournament with one group game still to play.