Alaba relishes Messi challenge ahead of Austria-Argentina clash

Austria captain David Alaba has welcomed the challenge of facing Lionel Messi and reigning champions Argentina after helping his country secure a winning start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Austria opened their campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Jordan, ending a long wait for a World Cup win and boosting confidence ahead of a daunting Group J showdown with the defending champions.

Ralf Rangnick’s side were made to work for the result after Romano Schmid’s opener was cancelled out by Ali Olwan shortly after the break.

However, Austria responded strongly and sealed victory deep into stoppage time when veteran striker Marko Arnautović converted from the penalty spot.

The result secured Austria’s first FIFA World Cup victory since 1990 and provided an ideal start to their campaign.

Goalkeeper Alexander Schlager admitted the team had been pushed hard by Jordan but believes the win provides valuable momentum heading into the next match.

“We were made to work really hard today,” Schlager said.

“We’re overjoyed to have kicked off the tournament with a win. That obviously puts the wind in our sails, and we can now go away and calmly prepare for our next match.”

Alaba also expressed satisfaction with the result and the manner in which Austria responded to a difficult test.

“We really wanted to get off to a winning start,” the defender said.

“We’re naturally hugely relieved and ecstatic that it worked out for us today. Now we can set our sights on our next target.”

That target is Argentina, who began their title defence with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Algeria.

The South Americans were inspired by Messi, who scored a hat-trick and further enhanced his remarkable World Cup legacy.

Alaba acknowledged the scale of the challenge awaiting Austria but insisted his team would approach the contest with determination.

“It goes without saying that there are easier games,” he said.

The former Real Madrid defender also praised Messi’s extraordinary performance against Algeria.

“It’s absolutely incredible what Messi is capable of. It’s really special to see him get up and running like that, with a hat-trick, at a tournament like this, none other than the World Cup – my first edition of the competition, and the first for all of our team.”

While Messi remains Argentina’s biggest threat, Alaba warned that the world champions possess quality throughout the squad.

“Argentina have got a squad packed with top-class players besides Messi. It’s no coincidence that they’re the reigning world champions.

“However, we’ll do our homework, prepare to the best of our ability and give our utmost to get a result.”

Austria head into the encounter buoyed by their impressive start and determined to test one of the tournament favourites.

For Alaba and his teammates, the clash represents an opportunity to measure themselves against the very best.

For Argentina, it is another step in their quest to retain the World Cup crown.

And at the centre of it all will be Messi, whose latest masterclass has already ensured that Austria’s biggest challenge may have arrived sooner than expected.