Argentina go into Austria with the focus on Lionel Messi, who scored a hat trick against Algeria and moved level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals. He turns 39 on Wednesday, so this match is another chance to make the record his before his birthday. The rest of Lionel Scaloni’s team, though, is being adjusted around injuries and a forward decision that is still not settled.
Messi’s starting role and the front-line call
Barnaby Lane wrote that, with the record now within touching distance, the Inter Miami star is expected to start again against Austria as he looks to make history. That fits the way Argentina have used him so far, with his 10 rating against Algeria underlining how central he remains to the attack.
The harder choice is who plays around him. Lautaro Martínez was replaced ten minutes into the second half against Algeria after struggling in the opener, and he played only 55 minutes. That leaves room for Julián Álvarez to get a look, while the left-side spot is also unresolved, with Thiago Almada and Nicolás González both in the mix.
Injuries at the back and a settled core
Lionel Scaloni said Argentina will be forced into at least one change for Monday’s World Cup clash. Gonzalo Montiel was taken off at half-time of the 3-0 win over Algeria with a hamstring injury and is not expected to be risked in Dallas, which points to Nahuel Molina stepping in at right-back. R. De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister and Emiliano Martínez still give Argentina a familiar spine.
Austria are not just background noise here. They scored 3 in their opener against Jordan and conceded 1, so Argentina should expect a proper game rather than a passive exercise in protecting Messi. Saša Kalajdžić played only 45 minutes against Jordan after a poor display, and Marko Arnautović remains the main attacking reference if Austria get chances.
Argentina’s best route looks fairly clear. Keep Messi high, manage the legs around him and avoid overthinking the front line, because the main selection issue is not whether he starts, but which runners Scaloni trusts to support him against Argentina vs Austria.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →