Argentina vs. Austria Match Preview | OneFootball

Argentina face Austria on Monday at 2 p.m. Argentina time (1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT) at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It will be their second match of Group J at the 2026 World Cup. After a commanding 3-0 win over Algeria on debut — capped by a Lionel Messi hat-trick — the reigning world champions are chasing a spot in the round of 32 and, with it, a firm grip on top of the group. Egypt’s Amin Mohamed Omar will referee.

Scaloni, keeping his cards close

In the pre-match press conference from Dallas, Lionel Scaloni mixed messages of calm with a couple of internal warnings. The coach declined to reveal what he didn’t like about the Algeria game, but admitted there was plenty to fix: “I’m not going to tell you, but of course there were things. We have weak points, and let’s hope they don’t manage to find them — that’s the interesting part.”

He also welcomed having his full squad available for the first time in the tournament: “Everyone is available to play. That’s a good thing.” On how the team has evolved since the Qatar 2022 champions, he highlighted the new options: “We’ve improved the team. We added Thiago (Almada)… Giuliano (Simeone) and Nico (González) make us more vertical. They’ve shown no sign of easing off.”

Asked about the possibility of sitting back and countering against an awkward opponent, he was clear: “If the opponent is better, you have to dig in. You can’t always dominate the ball — but we do dominate the result.”

Argentina’s squad status

Scaloni’s statement notwithstanding, Argentina will be forced into one change, and there are still two open questions. Gonzalo Montiel is carrying a strain in his right quad, and Nahuel Molina is in line to replace him at right-back. The rest of the defense should stay intact, with Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez and Facundo Medina in front of Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez.

In midfield, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister (with Exequiel Palacios as an alternative) anchor the build-up, while Messi remains the focal point. The two questions Scaloni is keeping to himself are out wide in attack: Thiago Almada or Nicolás González, and the eternal tug-of-war between Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez to partner the captain.

There’s also anticipation around the first minutes for Nicolás Tagliafico and Leandro Paredes, both now fit again.

Probable XI: Emiliano Martínez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Facundo Medina; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister; Lionel Messi; Thiago Almada (or Nicolás González); Lautaro Martínez (or Julián Álvarez)

Messi comes into this game on fire. His hat-trick against Algeria pulled him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals. Another fun stat, Messi also drew Klose on another record: World Cup wins (17 each). But if Argentina win this one over Austria, he’ll stand alone on that all-time list.

All of this comes on the eve of his 39th birthday, this Tuesday, June 24th. Scaloni signed off with a joke when asked for a birthday wish for Leo: “The one we all want. For him to be happy. You were expecting something else, weren’t you? Trust me.”

Austria, arriving in form

On the other side, Austria also won on debut: 3-1 over Jordan. Their most dangerous card is Sasa Kalajdzic, the striker standing over two meters (6’7″) tall who is a constant aerial threat — a detail Argentina’s staff have very much noted ahead of the match.

What’s at stake

A win would secure Argentina’s place in the round of 32 and leave them on the verge of topping Group J. If they finish first, their next opponent would be the runner-up of Group H (Spain, Cape Verde, Uruguay or Saudi Arabia). That match is scheduled for Friday, July 3, at Miami Stadium in Florida. If they finish second, they’d face the Group H winner on Thursday, July 2, at Inglewood Stadium in Los Angeles.

Scaloni’s underlying message was the usual one: keep your feet on the ground despite the opening rout. Argentina want to take another solid step in defense of their title — and they want to do it, as their coach asked, without handing anyone those weak points he’d rather not name.