Skipper Lionel Messi on Austria win: ‘It was very even, very intense’

Argentina skipper Lionel Messi described the 2-0 victory over Austria as “very even, very intense” after leading the team to qualification for the World Cup 2026 knockouts.

“I’m very happy with the win; it’s extremely important and I think it gives us peace of mind for what lies ahead,” said Messi.

"This is the World Cup. The match was very even, very intense," the skipper told reporters after scoring both goals in Argentina's victory over Austria and breaking the all-time record for the most goals at the tournament.

Two days before his 39th birthday, Messi reached 18 World Cup goals and became the tournament's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose, whose previous record of 16 goals has stood since Brazil 2014.

"I'm running low on energy and finding it hard to think," he said during the brief interview. "I'm enjoying the moment and looking forward to being with my team-mates."

“The whole squad is absolutely delighted by this; when we get together, we enjoy being together, competing, training day in, day out, and seeing how excited the fans are,” said the national team captain.

"It's fantastic how it turned out. I had the penalty today that could have extended the lead," he said when asked to assess the victory.

“I enjoy playing and having a good time on the pitch. I was really annoyed about the penalty because I missed it, but, luckily, we managed to turn that situation around.”

“We’ve already given the fans plenty to cheer about, but we’ll try to give them one more reason,” he said.

“Nobody gives anything away for free; at times today we struggled to play the way we wanted to – it was very scrappy and difficult to play – but it was important to pick up the six points to have a calmer week.”

‘Greatest in history’

Messi’s Albiceleste team-mates showered praise on their skipper in post-match interviews.

Forward Julián Álvarez, who has recently recovered from a sprained left ankle and entered the pitch as a second-half substitute, said Argentina’s number 10 "is already the greatest in history and he keeps proving it. At his age, he still has all that talent and magic."

"I feel good now," Álvarez said of his injury. "So I'm supporting the team and making the most of whatever minutes I get."

Álvarez came off the bench against both Austria and Algeria last week, another Argentina victory in which Messi scored an unprecedented hat-trick in a 3-0 win.

"There's not much left to say about Leo. He's been the best in the world for more than 20 years and he's the greatest in history," Álvarez said.

Asked which opponent he would prefer in the round of 16, Álvarez replied: "In the end, you have to beat everyone."

"There are no words for Leo. There's no point comparing him because he's alone at the top," defender Lisandro Martínez said after the victory at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, outside Dallas.

"All that's left is to enjoy him. I'm incredibly proud to have him by my side and for him to be Argentine. We have to appreciate him," said the Manchester United centre-back.

Physical contest

Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister said Argentina had expected a physical and hard-fought contest against Austria and got exactly what they expected.

"We knew it was going to be like that. They're physical and strong, and we expected a tough match, but fortunately it worked out well," the Liverpool midfielder said.

"I think it was an excellent game. Both teams wanted to play," agreed Martínez. "When we needed to move the ball around, we did."

Mac Allister praised Austria's performance and suggested other matches in the tournament would follow a similar pattern.

"From the start you know it's going to be like this. We did well and tried to keep more of the ball, but today's match was very competitive. They pressed hard and there will be more games like that."

The midfielder also praised Messi's latest display and spoke on behalf of the squad.

"We know everyone gives their maximum when playing alongside Leo. We've already won trophies with him and it's important that he enjoys himself. The way he keeps doing it is incredible and we're very grateful for that."

– TIMES/AFP/NA

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