The peerless Lionel Messi cemented his name in the pantheon of World Cup history-makers after a fine-double helped Argentina to a 2-0 win over Austria, securing their passage into the next round.
The two goals took him to 18 World Cup strikes in his career, taking him two clear of previous record-holder Miroslav Klose for Germany.
Early penalty miss spurs Messi onto more
Messi’s afternoon was on a very different trajectory after inexplicably missing a penalty in the early stages of the game, firing wide of the target much to the disbelief of the crowd. However, that embarrassment only seemed to make him angry and he clicked into gear towards the end of the first half with a smart finish after a dummy by team-mate Thiago Almada from Facundo Medina’s pass. It was a significant moment inside the Dallas Stadium, which was vibrating to the chants of Messi.
He added his second in stoppage time at the end of the second half, slamming home from a tight angle after battling with several Austrian players to force it over the line. It means Messi has now scored all five of Argentina’s World Cup goals, with 2.86 of Argentina’s 3.91 expected goals (xG) and his xG and assists (xG+A) makes up 87.5% of La Albiceleste’s total for the tournament.
Argentina are now in the World Cup round of 32 with a second straight victory, moving onto six points in Group J and joining Mexico, the United States and Germany among the teams already through to the knockout stage. The South Americans will also clinch top spot in the group if Jordan fail to defeat Algeria later on Tuesday.
Austria, meanwhile, remain in contention for qualification after opening their campaign with a win over Jordan. They sit on three points with one group match remaining.
France overcome Iraq and Norway beat Senegal
Elsewhere on day 11 of the tournament, the other big guns continued to keep pace with Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. Kylian Mbappe was on the scoresheet as France overcame Iraq to secure their place in the next round.
It became the tournament’s first match to be disrupted by severe weather, with the second half delayed by more than two hours because of lightning in the Philadelphia area. Heavy rain had already slowed fans’ entry to the stadium, but the match started as scheduled.
After the lengthy delay, France capitalized on an Iraqi defensive error when goalkeeper Ahmed Basil mishandled a short goal kick, allowing Ousmane Dembélé to set up Mbappé’s second. Dembélé later added a third goal, his first at a major tournament for France, while Adrien Rabiot and Michael Olise also went close. Iraq threatened late on but failed to convert chances for Rebin Sulaka and Ali Al Hamadi.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland bagged another brace in a dramatic 3-2 win for Norway over Senegal, ensuring his country advanced to the knockout round for the first time since 1998. Marcus Pedersen opened the scoring before Haaland struck twice in the second half, including a goal that made him Norway’s leading World Cup scorer.
Ismaila Sarr scored twice to keep Senegal in contention, reducing the deficit in the second half and again in stoppage time, but Norway held on for a second straight win. Senegal must now beat Iraq in their final group match to retain any chance of reaching the round of 32.
Belgian draw with Egypt costs one punter more than $13 million
It has been a tournament for the underdogs so far, which is costing punters a lot of money. Belgium cost one trader dearly on Polymarket, representing one of the biggest individual losses so far on prediction market platforms. It comes just days after a trader lost nearly $1.4 million when Cape Verde fought Spain to a stunning draw on Monday
The high-stakes wagers highlight both the potential payouts and significant risks associated with the expanding sector, which has moved beyond elections and financial events into mainstream sports. For many participants, the markets increasingly resemble a form of entertainment rather than a reliable source of investment returns.
