Argentina faces Austria in the 2026 World Cup on Monday with the top spot in Group J on the line. Victory for either team would put them in the driver’s seat to win the group and guarantee a spot in the knockout stage, but all of it feels secondary to the possibility of witnessing history being made.
Lionel Messi is one kick of the ball away from becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history. His hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia pulled him level with Germany legend Miroslav Klose, with the two having scored 16 career goals on the world’s biggest stage.
He also scored in his fifth consecutive World Cup match, which ties the competition record. What could be in store for Monday's match against Austria?
Below, we’ll break down the best Lionel Messi picks and projections on PrizePicks for Argentina’s opening Group J match at World Cup 2026 vs. Austria.
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Top Lionel Messi Picks for Argentina vs. Austria in World Cup – Monday, June 22
Messi turns 39 years old on Wednesday, but he turned back the clock with his performance against Saudi Arabia with two sublime strikes that registered just 1.05 xG collectively. Can he produce another moment of magic and take sole place atop the record books while helping Argentina take another step towards a repeat of the title?
Here is a top Lionel Messi pick for Saturday’s Argentina vs. Austria match in Group J of World Cup 2026, via PrizePicks.
Argentina FW Lionel Messi vs Austria: 0.5 Goals
- Lionel Messi has scored a goal in five of his last seven appearances for Argentina and in six of his last seven matches for club and country.
- Over his last seven matches for both Argentina and Inter Miami, Messi has 9 goals and 7 assists. This includes a goal in just 20 minutes against Iceland in a warm-up friendly, where he scored on his only shot of the match.
- Messi has attempted 35 shots over those seven matches, putting 18 of those efforts on target.
- His 12 goals in MLS play for Inter Miami this season have come from just 10.4 xG, and his 1.95 goals vs. XG is the highest mark of any player so far at the World Cup. This displays his ability to beat the goalkeeper from distances and locations where average players typically would not.
- In the win over Algeria, Messi took 6 shots. He put 4 on target, including two from outside the box, as he had just 4 touches inside the penalty area.
- Austria allowed 21 penalty area touches to Jordan, who scored a goal from a shot that registered just 0.09 xG. Jordan also took 7 shots from inside the penalty area and put 4 SOT from 11 attempts.
- Messi has now scored in five straight World Cup matches for Argentina, scoring 8 goals in the process, including 3 penalties.
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More Lionel Messi Projections vs. Austria for World Cup 2026
Here are other top Lionel Messi projections vs. Austria in their Group J bout, via PrizePicks. How will the World Cup 2026 Golden Boot contender fare?
Lock in your Lionel Messi and Argentina vs. Austria picks on PrizePicks before kick-off.
- 45.5 Passes Attempted
- 4 Shots
- 1.5 Shots on Target
- 4.5 Attempted Dribbles
- 2.5 Shots Assisted
- 21.5 Fantasy Score
- 1.5 Tackles (Demon)
- 0.5 Assists (Demon)
- 1.5 Goal + Assist (Demon)
- 1.5 Fouls (Demon)
- 1.5 Fouls Drawn (Goblin)
- 0.5 Cards (Demon)
- 0.5 Offsides (Demon)
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Make Argentina vs. Austria World Cup 2026 Picks on PrizePicks
The eyes of the football world will be on Lionel Messi when Argentina and Austria take the pitch this afternoon. Look for the Argentine legend to potentially fire early and often as he attempts to make history and help secure top spot in Group J.
Don’t wait until lock. Make your Argentina vs. Austria picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right on every World Cup game.
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