Messi Seeks Record Goal as Argentina Faces Austria in Dallas

Lionel Messi and World Cup holders Argentina face Austria in Dallas on Monday with the Argentine great needing one more goal to rewrite the record books. Ahead of the match, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said that “there are no easy games” at the World Cup and listed the newly-introduced hydration break as one of the things that make the conditions even more difficult. Messi, who turns 39 on Wednesday, equalled Miroslav Klose’s all-time mark of 16 World Cup goals when he scored a hat-trick in the 3-0 opening win over Algeria. The Argentina captain was tearful after his first goal, and it later emerged that his father is recovering from an unspecified health issue. Despite his personal travails and a troubled build-up because of a hamstring injury, Messi’s mere presence appears to inspire his teammates. “If anyone thought this group was better off without Leo, today it became clear that Leo is the most important of them all,” midfielder Alexis Mac Allister said after the win against Algeria.