Lionel Messi scored twice and Argentina moved into the Group J World Cup 2026 round of 32 with a 2-0 win over Austria on Monday, June 22. The result sent Argentina through as Group J winner and put Messi on top of the World Cup scoring list with 18 goals.
Messi Sets 18-Goal Mark
Argentina did the job in one match. Messi provided both goals against Austria, and his total of 18 World Cup goals makes him the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. For Argentina, that finished the group-stage part of the job with no need to wait on other results.
The knockout stage begins with the round of 32 and runs from June 28 to July 3. In this 48-team World Cup, the top two teams in each of the 12 groups advance automatically, along with the eight best third-place finishers.
Mexico, United States, Germany
Argentina is not the first team through. Mexico qualified after a 1-0 win over South Korea on Thursday, June 18, after opening with a 2-0 win over South Africa. The United States followed after a 2-0 win over Australia on Friday, June 19, after starting with a 4-1 win over Paraguay. Germany entered the round of 32 after a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast on Saturday, June 20, after opening with a 7-1 win over Curacao.
Those results already show how quickly the bracket is filling in under FIFA’s new setup. Head-to-head records, not goal difference, are being used as the primary tiebreaker for teams level on points for the first time at a World Cup, which can decide how the remaining places shake out.
Group J Holds Its Shape
Argentina’s win also locked in the top spot in Group J. That matters because teams chasing the last knockout places cannot overtake them, and the group table now shifts to the race for the remaining positions that can still reach the round of 32.
Haiti, Turkiye and Tunisia are already eliminated because they cannot catch the third-placed teams in their groups. The next openings for the bracket will come from the teams still alive in the third-place standings, with the remaining round of 32 places to be filled from there.
Messi’s two goals against Austria added to the 3-0 opening win over Algeria, where he scored his maiden tournament hat-trick. Argentina now move on with first place secured and the scoring record in Messi’s hands.
