The headline event of the evening took place in Dallas: Argentina defeated Austria 2:0 in a Group J match, and Lionel Messi wrote his name into football history forever.
Argentina — Austria 2:0 (Group J)
The match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, began with a penalty: as early as the 9th minute Messi stepped up to the spot but fired wide of the left post — 70,649 fans held their breath. Austria capitalised on the psychological advantage and controlled the game for several minutes. However, on the 38th minute Facundo Medina played Messi through one-on-one with the goalkeeper: Thiago Almada cleverly let the ball run through his legs, and the Argentine captain slotted it into the net with his left foot — 1:0 and simultaneously his 17th career goal at World Cups, equalling Miroslav Klose's record.
In the second half, Austria under Ralf Rangnick tried to respond: Sabitzer struck a free kick towards the top corner, and Danso made several crucial defensive interventions. But in stoppage time Messi tapped in a rebound into the bottom-right corner — 2:0. That is now his 18th career World Cup goal — an all-time record among both men and women in the tournament's history.
Group standings impact: Argentina, with 6 points, comfortably top Group J and have clinched their place in the Round of 32 ahead of schedule. Their goal difference stands at plus five. Austria (3 points) still have a chance to progress but must beat Algeria in the final round.
Late matches of the evening
Matches in the evening block are currently underway or about to kick off (Kyiv time): France — Iraq (kick-off 00:00 Kyiv time, June 23) and Norway — Senegal (03:00). Results of these fixtures will be covered in the morning digest.
Photo: Al Jazeera · Editorial (source)
