Argentina vs Austria Player Ratings

Argentina 2-0 Austria Player Ratings: Lionel Messi 8.8/10 Historic Brace Breaks All-Time World Cup Scoring Record as Argentina Crush Austria

Mohit Tomar

Published - Jun 22, 2026, 07:10 PM

3 min

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Summary

Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with a record-breaking brace, surpassing Miroslav Klose's mark to reach 18 tournament goals as Argentina secured a commanding 2-0 Group J victory over Austria.
A ninth-minute penalty miss briefly threatened to delay Messi's historic moment, but his composed 38th-minute opener and late stoppage-time clincher confirmed one of football's most significant individual milestones in one of the sport's most extraordinary individual evenings.
Austria's organised resistance gave way to Argentina's superior quality as the defending champions extended their unbeaten Group J record to two wins from two, scoring five goals without conceding and positioning themselves as the tournament's most dominant side heading into the knockout rounds.

Dallas Stadium witnessed a defining moment in football history as Lionel Messi became the all-time World Cup top scorer, surpassing Miroslav Klose's record of 16 goals. His composed 38th-minute first-time finish from Medina's cutback arrived after a characteristic, and charmingly human, ninth-minute penalty miss that briefly delayed the inevitable.

For fans tracking Messi's journey across six World Cups, this milestone extends beyond statistics; no player in the tournament's 96-year history has matched his sustained individual brilliance across multiple editions. A stoppage-time second goal extended the record to 18, with Argentina's captain becoming the most decorated individual scorer in World Cup history in the most fitting possible setting.

The Austria national football team, Euro 2024's surprise package under Ralf Rangnick, showed genuine competitive organisation throughout. Sabitzer marked his 100th cap with a committed display, and Danso, alongside Xaver Schlager frustrating the Argentina national football team in every area. Yet the quality gap between the sides was ultimately impossible to bridge against a defending champion operating with this level of controlled authority.

Argentina's comfortable victory confirms them as the most dominant side in the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far, with five goals scored, none conceded, and two commanding victories from two Group J matches. For Scaloni's champions and their 37-year-old captain, this tournament is delivering precisely the kind of historically significant brilliance that great title defences demand. Here are Sportsdunia's Argentina vs Austria player ratings.

Argentina National Football Team Player Ratings vs Austria

Here are the Argentina national football team player ratings vs Austria.

Player Name	Ratings
Emiliano Martínez	6.4
Facundo Medina	7.0
Lisandro Martínez	7.4
Cristian Romero	7.0
Nahuel Molina	8.0
Thiago Almada	7.0
Enzo Fernández	7.4
Alexis Mac Allister	7.1
Rodrigo De Paul	6.8
Lautaro Martínez	6.9
Lionel Messi	8.8

Austria National Football Team Player Ratings vs Argentina

Check out the Austria national football team player ratings vs Argentina.

Player Name	Ratings
Alexander Schlager	4.5
Konrad Laimer	6.2
David Alaba	7.6
Kevin Danso	6.5
Stefan Posch	6.0
Xaver Schlager	6.0
Nicolas Seiwald	7.5
Marcel Sabitzer	7.0
Paul Wanner	6.4
Romano Schmid	6.9
Michael Gregoritsch	6.3

Man of the Match: Lionel Messi

Sportsdunia's Man of the Match is Lionel Messi for a historic brace that made him the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals, his composed record-breaking opener, and clinical stoppage-time second. His penalty miss only added to the drama of an evening that will be remembered long after this tournament concludes.