No signs of the World Cup Curse hitting Messi and co
Could Alvarez or Martinez find themselves on the scoresheet?
Argentina too strong for Austria on the night
After a 3-0 win over Algeria, Argentina have shown the world that they have no intention of letting the World Cup curse stand in their way. However, will they be quite as ruthless against the experience and discipline of Austria in this upcoming Group J match?
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| Date | June 22nd 2026 |
| Time | 12:00 PM |
| Venue | AT & T Stadium, TX |
| Moneyline | Argentina -185; Draw +300; Austria +500 |
| Total | Over 2.5 +105; Under 2.5 -118 |
We have to go all the way back to 1962 to witness a World Cup repeat winner. However, this Argentinian side looks just as calm, controlled, and clinical as ever, and looks more than capable of repeating the feat of fellow South Americans, Brazil, from some 64 years prior.
Of course, a win over Algeria isn’t going to send sportsbooks and sports bettors into overdrive, but the convincing nature of the win – and an in-form Messi – is more than enough for it to be considered.
Before all of that, though, they have to make their way through an Austrian team that is packed with experience and operates a suffocating high-press system. The 4-2-3-1 Gegenpress creates a tactical mismatch against an Argentinian team that tends to utilize a 4-3-3- or 4-4-2, but will this be enough?
While the Gegenpress is great for closing down passing lanes and cutting attacks short, it does leave Arnautovic or Kalajdzic in a lone striker role against Martinez and a cut-throat defensive line. The counter-attacking nature could also leave them susceptible to a quick Argentinian break – something no team wants to be on the end of.
When the final whistle blows, we expect Argentina to be moving on to six points, but we would be surprised to see another 3-0 hammering. That said, with Messi and co, you should never count anything out.
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Argentina (-185)
It is no surprise that World Cup betting sites have this one heavily in favor of Argentina. On paper, the tactical mismatch favors the Gegenpress of Austria, but that is as far as the mismatch goes.
When it comes to action on the pitch, Argentina is ahead of Austria in just about every area. Whether you are comparing Martinez in goal with Schlager or Messi and Alvarez with Kaljdzic and Arnautovic, the differences are clear.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any head-to-head matches to go off, either. The last time these two met in a World Cup competition was 1966, and Austria ended up 1-0 winners. For this to happen again, we would need to see a huge dip in form, a Martinez slip-up, and Austria to be firing on all cylinders.
Under 2.5 (-118)
Both opening matches for these two ended with over 2.5 goals, but we have to go against the potential for a repeat performance this time around.
Although Austria have proven they can hit the back of the net, we can’t see a lone striker causing the Argentinian back line any dramas on the night. At the other end, Austria are stronger than Algeria, with Alaba and Lienhart sitting at the heart of the defense. However, Austria were still found to give Jordan’s Olwan too much space and suffer the consequence.
You simply cannot do the same with Messi, Alvarez, Martinez, Almada, or Gonzalez, or you’ll be in for a rough night. That said, we think Scaloni will be playing for a 2-0 win, and some tactical changes to rest key players ahead of game 3.
Julian Alvarez (+155)
This is a tough one. We could have gone with Messi (+100), Martinez (+145), or any other striker/winger in the squad. However, we think that Alvarez will be looking to make his mark. We’ve gone on about the Gegenpress enough, but Alvarez’s pace and finishing are a deadly combo on the counter. If Austria are caught lacking, then you just need one opportunity to get Alvarez in behind the back line before it’s in the back of the net. If we remember, he was on fire in the 2022 quarter-finals against Croatia, netting a brace and totaling 4 for the campaign. No doubt, he will be looking to build on this in 2026.
The winner of this match has the potential to secure qualification ahead of game day 3. This could prove critical to Argentina’s chances of reclaiming the World Cup, effectively giving them space to rest key players ahead of the round of 32 and beyond. For Austria, of course, it would be a historical moment, having not qualified for the latter stages since 1954. With so much at stake, we expect a real battle on the pitch – but it is tough to look beyond an Argentina win.
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