Argentina v Austria: 2026 World Cup Prediction

Anyone with even the slightest interest in football must have enjoyed watching Lionel Messi against Algeria last week. The Inter Miami forward seemed to be winding down his career, but a hat-trick at a World Cup is a display of unprecedented class. In that respect, Austria’s defence will be on high alert. Following their 3-1 victory over Jordan, can they also secure a good result against the reigning world champions? Here is our Argentina v Austria prediction.

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Argentina v Austria preview

Both Argentina and Austria know that a single point should be enough to secure their place in the next round of the 2026 World Cup. And yet, it seems obvious that the South Americans will win this match. Will Austria sit back and defend? Will Argentina be satisfied with a draw if the score is still 0–0 after 70 minutes? Here’s a brief look at both teams.

Current Form & Team News

Argentina

The whole of Kansas City was decked out in blue and white last week when Argentina played Algeria. We expect a similar scene in Dallas when Los Albicelestes take on the Austrians. All eyes will once again be on Lionel Messi. Not only because he is now the all-time top scorer at a World Cup, but also to see to what extent the referee applies the same rules to the former FIFA World Player of the Year. He got off lightly for a nasty foul, one that would usually result in a red card.

Austria

Austria had a somewhat laboured start to the match. Of course, with David Alaba, Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer, they have players of the very highest calibre. Nevertheless, the absence of Christoph Baumgartner is a huge blow. The RB Leipzig attacking midfielder was a thorn in the side of the Netherlands at Euro 2024, but is currently struggling with a niggling injury. Nevertheless, they beat Jordan 3–1, partly thanks to a very late goal from Marko Arnautovic, the much-talked-about former striker for clubs such as Inter Milan and FC Twente.

Head-to-Head

Many matches at the 2026 World Cup do not have a rich history. This certainly applies to the Argentina v Austria fixture. It has, in fact, been 36 years since the two nations first met in a friendly international. In the run-up to the 1990 World Cup, that match ended 1-1.

Expected Line-ups

Argentina (4-4-2):

E. Martinez, Medina, Martinez, Otamendi, Molina, Almada, McAllister, Fernández, De Paul, Lautaro, Messi

Austria (4-3-3):

Schlager, Mwene, Alaba, Lienhart, Posch, Schlager, Siewald, Gregoritsch, Sabitzer, Arnautovic, Schmid

Argentina v Austria Betting Tips

Betting tip 1: Over 2.5 goals

We’re once again looking forward to a great match at the 2026 World Cup. In the opening matches involving Argentina and Austria, we’ve seen more than enough goals, with both teams knowing that a win is enough to reach the next round. That’s one of the reasons we’re expecting at least three goals – a bet that will earn you odds of 1.90 at Oranje Palace.

Betting tip 2: Marko Arnautovic to have more than 0.5 shots on target

Whenever Marko Arnautovic features in a match, something remarkable tends to happen. The technically gifted, yet somewhat temperamental, striker managed two shots on target during his substitute appearance against Jordan, including a goal. We reckon he’ll get plenty of playing time against Argentina again and will have at least one shot on goal.

Prediction: Argentina v Austria

** Final score: Argentina 2–1 Austria **
We believe Argentina will also win their second match of the 2026 World Cup. However, we do think Austria will put up slightly more resistance than Algeria and score at least one goal.