Thousands of Argentina supporters packed the area around Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, hours before their World Cup group-stage match against Austria, many arriving from hotels as early as 6 a.m. to secure spots in the long security and entry lines. The blue-and-white shirts, giant flags and Messi scarves made the scene feel more like Buenos Aires than Texas, with many fans saying they had come to see what they view as the greatest footballer of all time.
Lionel Messi enters the game after scoring a hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 opening win over Algeria, and expectations around him are enormous. For some fans, this may be the last chance to see Messi at a World Cup at his peak. The match is also a notable first, it is the first World Cup meeting between Argentina and Austria, even though they played two friendlies before. In 1980, Diego Maradona led Argentina to a 5-1 win over Austria and scored his only hat trick for the national team.
Argentina’s record against European teams in World Cups adds to the context. This will be its 60th World Cup match against a European opponent, with 24 wins, 16 draws and 19 losses. More impressively, Argentina has lost only three of its last 17 World Cup group-stage matches against European sides, and it has not trailed at halftime in a World Cup since the 2010 quarterfinal against Germany, a stretch of 19 matches.
Coach Lionel Scaloni said the tournament’s new cooling breaks create fresh tactical challenges, even in a covered, air-conditioned stadium. “Everything I plan can change after 22 or 23 minutes,” he said, adding, “It still does not feel natural.” He stressed that Austria, which opened with a 3-1 win over Jordan, is a serious opponent: “They have very good players. This is a team that presses high, plays directly and vertically. It is a team you have to take very seriously. It will be a difficult game.” Scaloni said the early upsets in the tournament matter, but added, “The powers will be there in the end.” Still, outside the tactical talk, the dominant theme remained Messi, with fans waiting for “another magical evening” from the Argentina star.
