Lionel Messi led Argentina to a 3-1 victory over Algeria in their opening 2026 World Cup group match, netting a hat-trick and tying Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer with 16 goals in the tournament’s history, according to Al Jazeera. The 38-year-old. Playing his sixth World Cup. Demonstrated that age is just a number, inspiring Argentina’s title defense and drawing praise from all corners of the football world.

Group J Dynamics and Match Significance

Argentina and Austria both have three points after their first matches, with Austria defeating Jordan 3-1 in their opener, per NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth — the June 22 match in Dallas will be central for both teams, with the winner likely securing a spot in the knockout round. Austria’s last World Cup win was against the United States in 1990, according to the same source; Ralf Rangnick, Austria’s coach, praised Argentina’s team identity and possession-based style, calling them a “classic team” in a press conference, as reported by OneFootball (spa).

Messi’s Legacy and Assist Records

Messi is second on the all-time World Cup assist list with 15 assists, behind Pelé’s 19, according to OneFootball (deu), his assist record includes six in the 1970 World Cup, where Brazil won the tournament. Messi’s most recent World Cup assist was in 2022, when he set up goals in the knockout stages. This is only the second time in his career that he has scored a hat-trick in a World Cup match, the first was in the 2018 third-place playoff, as reported by OneFootball (deu).

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe temporarily surpassed Messi in World Cup goal count after scoring twice in his opening match, reaching 14 goals according to FotMob — However, Messi’s hat-trick against Algeria brought him back to 16 goals, matching Klose’s record. Mbappe, who scored 43 goals for Real Madrid this season, said he plays for his country and team, not for critics, in a post-match interview with French media.

Austria’s Preparation and Group J Outlook

Austria’s coach. Ralf Rangnick. Described Argentina as a “classic team” in possession-based football, emphasizing the challenge ahead, though Austria’s opening win over Jordan was hard-fought, with goals from Romano Schmid, an own goal, and a late strike by veteran Marko Arnautovic. Captain David Alaba said the team wanted to win the first match to get off to a good start, and they did, while Both teams will aim to secure a knockout stage spot in Dallas, with the winner likely advancing, according to OneFootball (spa).

Group J will be the final group to determine its knockout stage matchups, with all four teams playing their final group matches on June 27, and the June 22 match in Dallas will kick off at 12 p.m. local time (17:00 GMT), according to Al Jazeera. Fans can follow live text commentary on Al Jazeera Sport from 14:00 GMT. The winner of this match will all but secure their spot in the knockout rounds, with the loser still having a chance with a win in its third and final group stage game.