Messi's brace seals Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria as Scaloni lauds captain's defensive commitment

Lionel Messi scored twice to give Argentina a composed 2-0 victory over Austria in their Group J fixture at Dallas Stadium, with coach Lionel Scaloni singling out his captain’s defensive effort as the defining feature of the performance.

Ralf Rangnick’s Austria side came into the match with an aggressive, physical game plan designed to disrupt the world champions, but Messi’s willingness to press and fight for the ball — most visibly in the build-up to the opening goal — set the tone for the Albiceleste. Scaloni made clear that the two goals, while decisive, were only part of what impressed him.

“When Leo gets going, everyone gets going, and that’s a credit to the team,” Scaloni said after the final whistle. “The people get excited seeing the team, seeing how they compete and enjoy themselves.”

Despite the clean sheet and the comfortable scoreline, Scaloni was measured in his assessment of the overall display. He drew a direct comparison to Argentina’s earlier group-stage encounter with Algeria, acknowledging that Austria posed a similar physical and tactical challenge and that there remained areas to sharpen.

“It was similar to the match against Algeria, against an opponent with high-caliber players who make things difficult and are in good physical condition. There are things to correct, but winning makes everything easier,” Scaloni said. “I’m convinced that when the opponent tried to make things difficult for us, I’m not so sure if that superiority translated into shots on goal.”

The coach also tempered the growing optimism around Argentina’s title defence, insisting the road ahead will be demanding regardless of their strong start to the tournament.

“There are a lot of teams that can be world champions and they’re going to compete. Some of the big teams are going to win, we’re going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be tough for everyone,” he added.

With their place in the round of 32 already secured, Argentina close out Group J against Jordan at Dallas Stadium on Sunday. The guaranteed progression gives Scaloni the opportunity to rotate his squad, with Giuliano Simeone, Nico Paz, and Valentin Barco among those in line for starting roles.