Two stunning goals from Lionel Messi were enough for Argentina to beat Austria in their Group J match of the FIFA World Cup.
With this victory, the South American country reached the knockout stage of the tournament.
The match also witnessed Messi breaking several records at Dallas Stadium.
He became the FIFA World Cup’s all-time leading goal scorer (18 goals), surpassing Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s 16 strikes.
The mercurial striker also became the player with the most FIFA World Cup appearances by an individual (28).
In addition, he holds the record for the most minutes played in FIFA World Cup history (2,489).
He has also won more FIFA World Cup matches than any other player (18).
Messi got an opportunity to put his country ahead in the ninth minute from the penalty spot, but he failed as his strike went wide.
He netted a brilliant goal in the 38th minute, giving his side a 1-0 lead. His second goal in the 95th minute sent thousands of Argentine fans into celebration.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe scored a superb brace as France booked their place in the Round of 32. The match was also memorable for Mbappe as it was his 100th appearance for France.
Mbappe’s stunning left-footed goal in the 14th minute gave the European giants a 1-0 lead.
The Real Madrid striker added another one in the 54th minute, thanks to Zaid Tahseen and goalkeeper Ahmed Basil’s horrible blunder.
Ousmane Dembele netted France’s third and final goal in the 66th minute.
In another Group I match, Norway registered a hard-fought 3-2 win over Senegal. Erling Haaland scored a brace following Marcus Holmgren Pedersen’s opening goal, while Ismaila Sarr scored both goals for the African side.
Other Result: Group J: Jordan 1, Algeria 2
