Messi Seeks Second Win as Argentina Face Austria In World Cup Day 12

Day 12 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to feature several crucial group-stage encounters, headlined by defending champions Argentina taking on Austria in a Group J clash at Dallas Stadium. The spotlight will once again be on Lionel Messi, who continues to impress despite being 38 years old. After producing a hat-trick in Argentina's opening match against Algeria, Messi enters the contest as one of the tournament's standout performers and will be expected to lead his side toward qualification for the knockout rounds.

Argentina opened their title defence in commanding fashion with a 3-0 victory over Algeria, showcasing the balance, creativity and attacking quality that helped them win the previous World Cup. Another victory against Austria would secure their progression to the Round of 32 and further strengthen their status as one of the favourites for the title. Austria, however, will arrive with confidence after defeating Jordan 3-1 in their opening fixture under coach Ralf Rangnick.

Another major attraction on the day's schedule is the Group I meeting between France and Iraq in Philadelphia. Kylian Mbappe is set to make his 100th international appearance for France, adding another milestone to an already remarkable career. The forward recently became France's all-time leading scorer and scored twice in his team's 3-1 victory over Senegal in their opening World Cup match.

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Iraq, appearing at their first World Cup since 1986, face a difficult challenge after suffering a 4-1 defeat to Norway in their tournament opener. The Asian side qualified through a demanding campaign and will be hoping to produce an upset against one of the strongest teams in the competition. France, meanwhile, will aim to build on its winning start and move closer to securing qualification.

The day's third major fixture sees Norway face Senegal in another Group I contest. Erling Haaland starred in Norway's opening 4-1 win over Iraq by scoring twice and will again be the focal point of the Scandinavian side's attack. Senegal showed resilience against France despite eventually losing 3-1 and will look to revive their campaign with a positive result against Norway.

The final match of the day features Jordan and Algeria in Group J. Jordan are searching for their first-ever World Cup point after losing to Austria, while Algeria hope to strengthen their chances of advancing from the group. With qualification scenarios beginning to take shape and several global stars in action, Day 12 promises to be one of the most significant and entertaining stages of the tournament so far.

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