Austria should prove a much tougher opponent for the reigning champions, but with in-form Leo Messi leading the attack, Argentina should still be the side to secure another set of points.
Key Stats
- Argentina have won their last 8 matches.
- Leo Messi has scored 9 goals in his last 7 matches for Inter Miami and Argentina.
- Austria have scored in 11 of their last 12 matches.
Two Previous Meetings
Argentina won the first h2h match against Austria 5-1 in May 1980, while a 1-1 draw was registered in 1990. Both matches were international friendlies.
Leo Messi Magic
Argentina had a fantastic start to the World Cup 2026, claiming a convincing 3-0 victory against Algeria earlier this week without allowing a single shot on target to the opposition.
Leo Messi delivered another outstanding performance here, scoring all three goals to become joint-top scorer in the World Cup history, needing just one more goal to surpass Germany’s Miroslav Klose.
Earlier this month, the reigning world champions won both of the final tests ahead of the World Cup 2026. First, Argentina outplayed Honduras 2-0 where they had 2.28-0.15 xG and 8-0 shots on target, while beating Iceland 3-0 last week, allowing just one shot on target.
Austria Shouldn’t be Underestimated
Like their upcoming opponents, Austria also collected three points in their World Cup 2026 opening match against Jordan 3-1 but had to work really hard to claim them.
Das Team broke the deadlock early here, Romano Schmid finding the net on Xaver Schlager’s assist, but then allowed an equalizer just after the break. The lead was regained in the 76th minute thanks to Al Arab’s own goal, while veteran Marko Arnautovic finished the job from a penalty spot in stoppage time.
After having a lot of success in March friendlies (beat Ghana 5-1 and South Korea 1-0), Austria opted for just one test game before the World Cup 2026, locking horns against Tunisia. Even though their Konrad Laimer was sent off in the first half, they won 1-0 with Marcel Sabitzer finding the net.
Team News & Predicted Lineups
Argentina (4-3-3) Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Facundo Medina; Rodrigo de Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez; Nicolas Gonzalez, Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez
Thiago Almada had a poor showing against Algeria so I expect Nicolas Gonzalez to take his place in the starting lineup.
Thiago Almada had a poor showing against Algeria so I expect Nicolas Gonzalez to take his place in the starting lineup.
Austria (3-4-2-1) Alexander Schlager; David Alaba, Philipp Lienhart, Kevin Danso; Philipp Mwene, Marcel Sabitzer, Xaver Schlager, Konrad Laimer, Romano Schmid, Nicolas Seiwald; Marko Arnautovic
Marko Arnautovic is expected to start this time, replacing Sasa Kalajdzic who had a decent performance against Jordan but Austria are unlikely to have two strong forwards against Argentina.
Marko Arnautovic is expected to start this time, replacing Sasa Kalajdzic who had a decent performance against Jordan but Austria are unlikely to have two strong forwards against Argentina.