The China Mail - Magic Messi makes World Cup history to send Argentina into last 32

The player widely regarded as the greatest of all time pounced late in the first half in Texas with a trademark left-footed finish after neat build-up play.

The predatory goal added to his hat-trick in Argentina's opening match to make it 17 in total at the World Cup.

The 38-year-old then sealed the match deep in injury time after a scramble in the box, as he outfoxed four defenders who lined up to keep the ball out.

It should have been even better for Messi, who missed a penalty early on, stunning a fiercely pro-Argentina 70,649 crowd at the air-conditioned home of the Dallas Cowboys.

With both sides knowing a win would put them into the knockout rounds with a game to spare, Lautaro Martinez was brought down in the box, sandwiched by two Austrian players.

Referee Amin Mohamed gave a penalty after a VAR intervention, and a wall of noise went up as Messi stepped forward on nine minutes.

But his run-up was slow and his weak effort off target, dragging it wide.

For all his brilliance, Messi -- who turns 39 on Wednesday -- is surprisingly poor from the penalty spot by his standards.

He also saw his spot-kick saved by Wojciech Szczesny in a 2-0 win over Poland at the 2022 World Cup, where Argentina went on to be champions, and missed at the 2018 tournament.

In the 19th minute Messi had a clear sniff at goal, only for Austria captain David Alaba to steal the ball off his toes at the last moment as he danced through on goal.

Alaba denied Messi again just after the half-hour mark, blocking his goalbound shot with goalkeeper Alexander Schlager stranded.

Ralf Rangnick's Austria, who beat debutants Jordan 3-1 in their opener, were content to sit back. They did not have a shot on target in the first half.

- History made -

And then the came the big moment, Messi sweeping in on 38 minutes after being set up by Facundo Medina, with Thiago Almada cleverly letting the ball run through his legs to leave Argentina's talisman all on his own and the goal gaping.

The Argentina fans, who greatly outnumbered their Austrian counterparts, rose to acclaim their hero.

Messi had equalled Miroslav Klose's all-time mark of 16 World Cup goals when hitting a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria in the holders' opening game.

Messi was tearful after his first goal, and it later emerged that his father is recovering from an unspecified health issue.

Inter Miami attacker Messi had not even committed to playing the tournament in North America until the last moment.

But nobody realistically expected him to be absent from spearheading Argentina's title defence.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain wizard dragged his country to World Cup glory four years ago, and the lure of representing his nation once again on the biggest stage proved irresistible.

Lionel Scaloni's side failed to build on their lead, and the second half drifted, neither side creating much.

If anything, Austria threatened slightly more, but Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was only once seriously troubled.

And then up popped Messi to have the last word at the death.

T.Luo--ThChM