Lionel Messi Injury: Is He Playing for Argentina vs Austria at the World Cup?

Argentina and Lionel Messi get ready for their second FIFA World Cup 2026 match when they face Austria today in Group J.

The defending champs are coming off a 3-0 win with Messi proving that age is just a number with his hattrick against Algeria.

They now sit comfortably at the top spot of the group table and are expected to secure another win confirming their progression to the next stage.

Austria too are coming off an impressive performance winning 3-1 against Jordan.

Is Lionel Messi Playing Against Austria?

Messi marked his 200th appearance for Argentina in the World Cup opener in style, with a hat-trick making the milestone even sweeter.

The former Barcelona forward also equalled the World Cup goalscoring record, previously held by Miroslav Klose, becoming the joint-highest goalscorer in the tournament's history with 16 goals.

Heading into the match, head coach Luis Scaloni will be desperate to avoid the fate suffered by several heavyweights who have already dropped points against weaker opposition.

"Austria is a difficult opponent with very good players. They pressure well and they had a great qualification. No doubt, it will be a complicated match," Scaloni said.

"There is no easy match at this World Cup. We try to watch every match. It's great, you learn a lot of things, and above all, we enjoy it," he added, acknowledging the quality of the opponents in the tournament.

Fortunately for Argentina, there are no new major injury concerns, and Messi is also expected to feature today.

The Inter Miami star was earlier dealing with a hamstring issues which had raised concerns before the World Cup but the 38-year-old recovered completely to start in the tournament opener.

He was later substituted in the 76th minute by Scaloni, with the decision largely made to manage his workload and conserve his energy.

The match will take place at the Dallas Stadium with kick-off scheduled for 1:00 PM EDT.

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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 10:34 AM.