Argentina tops World Cup group as coach praises toughness amid French media critique

Argentina defeated Austria 2–0 in Dallas, securing the top spot in Group J of the 2026 World Cup and guaranteeing progression to the knockout stage. Lionel Messi scored both goals, raising his tally to 18 World Cup goals, a new record.

The French sports daily L'Equipe published a critical piece titled “Two goals and nothing else: Argentina did not convince against Austria,” questioning the team's reliance on Messi and calling their play unremarkable. The article suggested Argentina showed little collective quality beyond the star’s contributions.

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni responded in a press conference, emphasizing the squad’s resilience: “When there is suffering, this team knows how to do it,” and noting that the matches had been harder than expected. He praised Messi’s influence while highlighting the collective effort and hinted at possible squad rotation for the upcoming group match against Jordan.