FIFA WC 2026: Messi shares training pics ahead of Austria clash

Lionel Messi shared training pics ahead of Argentina's FIFA WC 2026 clash with Austria. This follows his hat-trick in the opener against Algeria, which saw him equal Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in World Cup history with 16 goals.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi shared pictures from the team's training session ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group-stage clash against Austria on Monday (local time). Taking to Instagram, Messi posted a series of images featuring himself and his Argentina teammates as they prepared for their second match of the tournament. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

Hat-trick Heroics in Opener

The post comes after Messi delivered a sensational performance in Argentina's opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, leading the defending champions to a commanding 3-0 victory over Algeria with a hat-trick. The Argentine skipper opened the scoring with a powerful long-range effort before doubling the lead with a poacher's finish following a rebound. He completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute with a composed curling strike to seal the win for the defending champions.

Record-Equalling Goal Tally

The hat-trick was Messi's first in FIFA World Cup history and saw him draw level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in men's World Cup history with 16 goals. The milestone came just days before Messi's 39th birthday and exactly 20 years after he scored his first World Cup goal in 2006. The hat-trick also saw Messi surpass legends, including Gerd Muller and Brazil's Ronaldo, on the all-time World Cup scoring list.

More Milestones for Messi

The Argentine captain had already entered the record books before kick-off as the first player to appear in six World Cups. Making his 200th appearance for Argentina, Messi produced a vintage display of creativity, control and finishing to guide La Albiceleste to a convincing victory.

Upcoming Fixtures

Argentina will next face Austria in Dallas on Monday, June 22 (local time), while Algeria are scheduled to take on Jordan in San Francisco.

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