Messi Shares Training Pictures Ahead of Argentina's World Cup Clash with Austria

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has shared images from the team's training session as they prepare for their FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage match against Austria. The photos were posted on Instagram, showing Messi and his teammates gearing up for their second tournament fixture.

This comes after Messi's outstanding performance in Argentina's opening game, where he led the defending champions to a decisive 3-0 win over Algeria. He scored a remarkable hat-trick, opening the scoring with a long-range strike, adding a second from a rebound, and completing his treble with a composed curling shot.

The hat-trick was a historic moment for Messi, being his first in FIFA World Cup history. It brought his total World Cup goal tally to 16, drawing him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in the men's World Cup. This milestone occurred shortly before Messi's 39th birthday and exactly 20 years after he scored his first World Cup goal in 2006.

Beyond the scoring record, Messi also set a new benchmark by becoming the first player to participate in six World Cups. In his 200th appearance for Argentina, he displayed a vintage performance characterized by creativity, control, and clinical finishing, guiding La Albiceleste to a convincing victory. Argentina is scheduled to face Austria in Dallas on Monday, June 22 (local time).