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Argentina vs Austria Betting Tips & Predictions – Messi to Make History at the World Cup 2026

vedran-ostojic
Vedran Ostojic
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Last updated: Thu 18 Jun 2026 16:34
Austria have been impressive in attack, scoring in 11 of their last 12 matches. However, Argentina are expected to win, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez aiming to hold off the Austrian offense. Leo Messi is tipped not only to score but also to become the outright top scorer in World Cup history. The key recommendation is to back Argentina for the victory while watching for Messi to achieve his record-breaking goal.
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  • Leo Messi scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria
  • We are backing him to carry Argentina to another victory
  • Check our full preview for Argentina vs Austria below
Leo Messi scored three goals against Algeria (Getty Images)

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. 

eo 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. 

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. 

Verdict

Austria have good scoring potential, finding the net in 11 of their last 12 matches. I like their chances of getting past Emiliano Martinez, but the reigning world champions should still take the points here. 

I will also back Leo Messi to score and become the outright top scorer in World Cup history. 

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