Argentina defeats Austria 2-0 to secure World Cup knockout spot

Argentina beat Austria 2-0 in their World Cup group match, with Lionel Messi opening the scoring in the 9th minute and Leandro Paredes adding a late goal in stoppage time. The win gave the defending champions three points and ensured qualification for the knockout phase.

The match was tight, with Austria challenging early and earning a penalty that Messi missed, but Argentina held on and doubled the lead before the final whistle. The result follows Argentina’s earlier 3-0 victory over Algeria and Austria’s 3-1 win against Jordan in the same group.