Argentina has officially secured its qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 following a 2-0 victory over Austria in the second round of the group stage at Dallas Stadium.
The Albiceleste’s brace came courtesy of Lionel Messi, who scored in the 39th minute and the final minute of the match. With these two goals, Messi reached his 5th goal of this tournament and his historic 19th career World Cup goal.
With this win, Argentina leads the group standings with 6 points, guaranteed to advance, and practically securing the top spot (unless Jordan defeats both Algeria and Argentina). Austria sits in second place with 3 points, while Algeria and Jordan share the third spot with zero points, ahead of their upcoming clash on Tuesday morning.
In the Round of 32, Messi and his teammates will face the runner-up of Group H. Spain has already secured the top spot in that group, leaving a fierce battle for second place among Uruguay, Cape Verde, and Saudi Arabia.
The Round of 32 match is scheduled for July 3, hosted at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami—a venue where Messi has enjoyed immense success during his career with Inter Miami before moving to the club’s new stadium at the start of this season.
