FIFA World Cup 2026: Messi Delivers Again, But Defending Champs Argentina Play Raises More Questions
Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria helped the World champions enter the knockout stage. Argentinos Juniors Coach Alejandro Lino analyses the game for ETV Bharat.
Published : June 23, 2026 at 1:26 PM IST
On another matchday of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Argentina secured three valuable points with a 2-0 victory over a demanding Austria side. It was a tactical battle in which the Albiceleste relied on their familiar blueprint: patience in possession, maturity in adversity, and the clinical quality of their individual stars when the game demanded it.
The match began as expected, with Argentina controlling possession and building from the back without taking unnecessary risks. However, Austria surprised the South Americans early on by employing a medium-to-high press that disrupted Argentina's progression. As the game wore on, physical fatigue and Argentina's positional discipline forced the Europeans to retreat into an extremely compact low block.
Faced with a well-organised defensive wall, La Scaloneta (the Albiceleste is also known as La Scaloneta, identified with head coach Lionel Scaloni) remained faithful to its identity, circulating the ball patiently despite struggling to stretch the opposition. As Austria gradually pushed higher up the pitch, the spaces Argentina had been searching for finally began to appear.
The first breakthrough came when Lautaro Martínez received an excellent pass between the lines and was brought down by two defenders inside the penalty area. The referee pointed to the spot. Lionel Messi stepped up, but his effort went wide, missing a golden opportunity to open the scoring.
Many teams would have suffered a psychological setback after such a miss. But this Argentina side has been forged through adversity. Austria attempted to capitalise on the momentum by committing more players forward, but that proved to be their undoing. Messi quickly recovered from the disappointment, led a swift counterattack, and clinically finished the move to give Argentina a 1-0 lead before halftime.
The second half unfolded differently. Argentina adopted a more conservative approach, while Austria pushed forward in search of an equaliser. This passive spell saw the Albiceleste commit uncharacteristic errors in build-up play and revealed a noticeable lack of progression through midfield. Although Austria enjoyed more possession during this phase, they lacked creativity and rarely threatened Emiliano 'Dibu' Martínez in goal.
As the game entered its final stages, Argentina struck once again. A perfectly executed counterattack allowed Messi to showcase his brilliance and seal a 2-0 victory.
Yet the scoreline should not distract from a deeper analysis. Despite the win, Argentina continue to struggle to establish a fluid and comfortable rhythm. The team lacks a consistent volume of clear-cut chances created through collective play and often appears imprecise in possession.
More concerning is the lack of movement off the ball. Too often, the player in possession is left without clear passing options, resulting in static phases that break the team's attacking flow.
These are operational flaws that the coaching staff must address urgently. Up to this point in the tournament, Argentina have not consistently looked like a fully synchronised team across all areas of the pitch. If the objective is to successfully defend the World Cup title, these issues cannot remain unresolved.
'ESTO, ES A MI CRITERIO (As always, this is my personal assessment)'.
(The author, Alejandro Lino, is currently the head coach of Argentinos Juniors, the famed Argentine club where football legend Diego Maradona began his legendary journey in 1976 and scored 116 goals from 166 matches till 1981 before he moved to FC Barcelona in Spain)
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