Argentina and Austria square off at AT&T Stadium this afternoon, turning the heart of Texas into the ultimate battleground for the Group J crown.
Lionel Messi is coming off his first career hat trick and is now tied atop the all-time World Cup goalscoring leaderboard.
My Argentina vs. Austria predictions have him setting a new record as he leads favored Argentina to victory. Read on for my World Cup picks for this afternoon, with kickoff at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
TOp pick
Argentina vs Austria goal scorer pick: Lionel Messi (-116)
I mean... was there any chance we were going with anybody else?
Lionel Messi sits one goal away from being alone on the career World Cup goal-scoring charts, and a 17th this afternoon would move him out of a tie with German legend Miroslav Klose.
His first hat-trick in the World Cup came in his 200th Argentinian cap, and showed that he’s still a lethal finisher. He’s scored in five of his last seven outings for the national team and showed he can score in a variety of ways against Algeria.
Messi took six shots in the opener, two more than the rest of his team combined. I expect him to continue firing as he looks to carry his nation to victory and set the record in the process.
See who will have the best opportunities to score goals in our World Cup set-piece takers guide.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account
Who will win Argentina vs Austria: Argentina moneyline (-170)
Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria is more impressive when you look at some of the underlying data from Opta.
For starters, they managed just 12 touches inside the penalty area and attempted just 78 passes in the final third. Both mark in the Bottom-10 nations at the tournament so far.
Meanwhile, Algeria managed 118 successful passes in the final third, but had just 14 touches inside the 18-yard box. That’s because Argentina did an outstanding job cutting out every opportunity Algeria created, preventing any of their seven shots from reaching the target.
On the flip side, Austria’s 3-1 win over Jordan left me unimpressed. They needed an own goal 12 minutes from time to take the lead, and a penalty deep into stoppage time to reach the final result. They also missed three of their four big chances — a number they’re unlikely to come close to in this match.
La Albiceleste has now conceded just once in the last eight outings, while scoring multiple goals in seven straight. While I’m not necessarily expecting another clean sheet, I am backing them to claim all three points.
This currently sits at -170, and I wouldn’t play it any further than -175.
Argentina vs Austria Over/Under pick: Over 2.5 (+100)
I’m expecting another match that sees at least three goals scored — and that’s with or without Austria scoring one of their own.
This Argentina attack is far stronger than the one Austria faced in their first outing. Austria allowed 21 penalty box touches to Jordan, who failed to create any big chances but still found a goal off a great counter-attack.
Austria will look to generate chances via their pressure. Manager Ralf Rangnick is known as “The Godfather of Gegenpressing” for a reason, and Austria’s 6.5 passes per defensive action rank second among all teams so far in the tournament.
Algeria forced 40 turnovers against Argentina. 12 of those were considered high turnovers, among the most of any nation in Matchday 1. That could lead to a cheap goal for Austria if they could turn them over.
Regardless, I’m high on Argentina here to get another trio of goals. Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez both pose a real threat to this Austrian defense and should create more scoring lanes for Messi to work his magic.
My top play in terms of match result is good to -115.
Two tournament favorites. Two plus-money bets.
— Chris Vasile (@mc_silly3) June 22, 2026
🇦🇷 Argentina vs Austria 🇦🇹
🇫🇷 France vs Iraq 🇮🇶
Breaking down my favorite World Cup picks for Monday’s slate at @Covers pic.twitter.com/M7rjIfBATx
Argentina vs Austria projected lineup
Argentina (4-4-2): E. Martínez; Molina, Romero, Li. Martínez, Medina; De Paul, Mac Allister, Fernández, Alamada; Messi, La. Martinez
Austria (4-2-3-1): Schlager; Posch, Lienhart, Alaba, Mwene; Seiwald, X. Schlager; Schmid, Laimer, Sabitzer; Kalajdzic.
Argentina vs Austria injuries
Argentina: Gonzalo Montiel RB (Out), Nicolás Tagliafico LB (Probable).
Austria: Stefan Posch CB (Questionable).
Argentina vs Austria weather
This match is being played in a dome.
Argentina vs Austria odds
 Argentina |
 Austria |
|
|---|---|---|
| -170 | Moneyline | +567 |
| +317 | Draw | +317 |
| Over 2.5 (+100) | Total | Under 2.5 (-110) |
Odds courtesy of Kalshi.
How to watch Argentina vs Austria
Check out FIFA's official 2026 World Cup website for more information.
| Location | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX |
| Date | Monday, June 22, 2026 |
| Time | 1 p.m. ET |
| TV | FOX |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
