7M - Argentina 2-0 Austria: Messi Seals Record-Breaking Double as Argentina Tames Gritty Austria in Dallas

DALLAS, TX — History was rewritten at AT&T Stadium on Monday as Lionel Messi officially crowned himself the standalone, all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, inspiring Argentina to a hard-fought 2-0 victory over a resilient Austria side.

Fresh off a dazzling hat trick against Algeria that drew him level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose, the Argentine maestro entered the Matchday 2 clash on the cusp of soccer immortality. However, the historic milestone didn’t come without its share of early drama.

Just minutes into the first half, Argentina was awarded a penalty after Lautaro Martinez was brought down in the box following a swift VAR review. To the absolute stun of the raucous crowd in Dallas, Messi uncharacteristically dragged his spot-kick wide of the post, squandering a golden opportunity to claim the record early on.

Yet, as the true greats always do, Messi made amends in spectacular fashion. In the heart of the first half, La Albiceleste orchestrated a lethal attack down the left flank. A perfectly weighted cutback found Messi inside the area, who unleashed a textbook, trademark curling strike into the back of the net. The world-class finish marked his 17th career World Cup goal, lifting him past Klose to stand alone at the pinnacle of international football.

Despite falling behind, Ralf Rangnick's well-drilled Austrian outfit refused to back down. Operating as dangerous tournament dark horses, Austria caused plenty of headaches for the reigning world champions. Real Madrid’s David Alaba and Tottenham’s Kevin Danso put on a defensive masterclass to block crucial goal-bound efforts from Messi and Nico Gonzalez. On the attacking end, Marcel Sabitzer nearly found an equalizer with a venomous free kick, only to be denied by a spectacular diving save from Emiliano Martinez.

As the clock ticked down and Austria flooded men forward in search of an equalizer, Argentina exploited the spaces left behind. Late in the second half, a lethal counter-attack saw Julian Alvarez break free. While his initial strike was parried away by Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager, a relentless Messi was first to the rebound. After his initial follow-up was blocked, Messi made no mistake with his second bite at the cherry, smashing the ball home to seal his brace and a 2-0 victory.

With two wins from their opening two matches, Lionel Scaloni’s men have kicked off their World Cup defense in flawless style, while their legendary captain continues to push the boundaries of what is possible on the world stage.