Argentina’s Lionel Messi makes history in 2-0 win over Austria; France, Norway both victorious in World Cup matches

It's hard to describe the joy of Norway's fans, who are jubilantly roaring tonight as they make their exit from the stadium.

I'm sitting in the press conference area, which is a tent set up in the Metlife parking lot. It has been nearly 10 solid minutes of cheers seeping through these thin walls as I wait for both team's coaches to address the media.

Ismaïla Sarr’s stoppage-time goal didn’t deliver a point for Senegal — but it could end up being one of the most consequential garbage-time scores of this tournament. 

Norway held on for a 3-2 victory at MetLife Stadium, but the Vikings lost their slim edge in the Group I standings.

Norway and France head into their heavyweight bout Friday tied at 2-0-0, but Les Bleus, thanks to Sarr’s late score, have a goal-difference edge. France stands at plus-5 and Norway at plus-4. 

The goal was also valuable for the Lions of Teranga. While underachieving Senegal is languishing at 0-0-2, it could still slip into knockout play as a three-point third-place finisher.

Its minus-3 goal difference could be wiped out with a blowout victory later this week against reeling Iraq.

Senegal has failed to walk away with a point tonight as Norway wins 3-2.

Senegal played hard but struggled to create opportunities in front of Norway's net. All of Norway's goals were chances it was able to convert after Senegal's errors on defense.

Senegal rallied in the final minutes of stoppage time, scoring a second goal to close in on Norway's lead. But the desperate attempt to get at least a draw ultimately fell short.

Norway and France both have clinched their positions in the round of 32 and will face off Friday to see who will take the top spot in Group I. Senegal will play Iraq the same day, with both teams standing at 0 points in the group stage.

A few minutes into stoppage time, Ismaïla Sarr scored his second goal of the game for Senegal. After the ball went into the back of the net, he picked it up and sprinted back to the halfway mark to resume play as fast as possible.

Senegal still has life, with about five minutes left.

A lengthy injury delay earlier means we have a lot of time left in this one.

Senegal just had a great scoring chance in front of the net. Pressuring the Norway end, Senegal's Sadio Mané sent a cross into traffic in the box, where Sarr attempted a bicycle kick, but it was blocked. The ball ended up at the feet of Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson, who was open in front of the net. But he was ruled offside.

80,663 people. Tom Weller / dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images

There are 80,663 people packed into the stands of tonight's Norway-Senegal game.

A fan of Senegal.  Tom Weller / dpa/picture alliance via Getty I

Fans are pretty dry as rain has mostly stayed at bay since the match began despite fear of intense thunderstorms moving over the area. That has also helped keep the game moving, in contrast to the delayed France-Iraq match in nearby Philadelphia earlier tonight.

Pape Matar Sarr comes in for Kalidou Koulibaly in the 72nd minute as Senegal tries to stay alive in this match.

Koulibaly's defending mistakes have been at the forefront for all three of Norway's goals tonight as Norway capitalized on his failed challenges and missed passes in the attacking third.

It has been another incredible day for strikers. After Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé scored two goals in the earlier games, Erling Haaland has scored two second-half goals here in the first 20 minutes of the second half.

The trio combined for seven goals on the same day last week. They have six now today, and Haaland has 20-plus minutes to add to that total.

Norway's 3-1 lead puts the Norsemen into a slim live-standings lead over France in Group I.

If the win over Senegal ends at 3-1, Norway and France would top Group I, each with two wins, six points and plus-5 goal differences.

Norway would win the next tiebreaker of total goals scored, allowing the Vikings to possibly take the group with a tie against France on Friday at Gillette Stadium just outside Boston.

There's still plenty of time at MetLife Stadium for Norway to score more goals or for Senegal to rally.

It's a brace for Haaland, who kicks a volley off a pass that hits the crossbar to bounce into the goal.

The play came at the end of a few sloppy missed connections in the attacking third by Norway as Senegal's defense challenged over and over again. It was Koulibaly missing yet another opportunity to clear the ball for Senegal that allowed Patrick Berg to take possession again.

Berg hit a forceful pass to Haaland, who was directly in front of the net, to allow the striker his second goal of the night.

Senegal has had the possession advantage for much of this game but hadn't had many quality chances, until now. In the 53rd minute, Senegal led a quick sprint upfield. Sadio Mané passed to Ismaïla Sarr, who made a sliding shot past Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland, who tried to charge him.

Norway still leads 2-1. But plenty of time left in this one.

Senegal loses possession in Norway's end of the pitch, allowing Ødegaard to take advantage of the transition.

Haaland uses his large stride to get into the attacking third ahead of Ødegaard, who passes the ball just as Koulibaly fails to challenge him. Haaland strikes on the first touch in a hard kick that finds the back of Senegal's net in the 48th minute.

Norway leads 2-0.

As Norway and Senegal head to the dressing room at MetLife Stadium, France holds a slim edge in live Group I standings.

Les Bleus have two wins and a plus-5 goal difference, and Norway, should the Vikings keep a 1-0 lead over Senegal, would also have a pair of victories and six points.

But France would have a slight edge over Norway at plus-4 goal difference if Erling Haaland’s crew win by the same 1-0 edge it now enjoys.

The goal-difference lead could give France a chance to win the group with a draw against Norway when the two heavyweights meet Friday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

But there’s still 45 minutes to play in New Jersey, plenty of time for Norway to expand its lead or for Senegal to rally.

Both teams are back for the second half with Norway leading Senegal 1-0.

Marcus Holmgren Pedersen celebrates Norway's first goal. Simon Stacpoole / Offside via Getty Images

But the margin could by much more. Norway star Erling Haaland missed two scoring chances in the final moments of the half. After each one, on successive plays, he fell to his knees and hit his hands on the grass. Norway had two other point-blank scoring chances that Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy saved. If not for Mendy, Norway would have at least a few more goals.

Haaland had a perfect opportunity in front of the net in the final moments of stoppage time, rushing at Mendy in a challenge that drew him out of the net in a rare mistake.

But Haaland's shot ricocheted off the post in a devastating miss.

Norway managed to keep possession and give Haaland another chance, this time with a header blocked by Mendy just before the halftime whistle blew.

Kylian Mbappé scored twice and Ousmane Dembélé added his first World Cup goal as France sailed to a 3-0 victory against overmatched Iraq in rain-soaked Philadelphia.

The match was marred by a 2-hour, 10-minute halftime intermission due to severe weather.

Mbappé now has 16 goals in his World Cup career, trailing Argentine star Lionel Messi, who has 18 tallies.

Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly just made a turnover that cost his team a goal. As Koulibaly tried to clear the ball, it was intercepted just outside the Senegal box by Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, who came on as an injury substitution for Norway early in the first half.

Pedersen took a few dribbles and had only Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy to beat. This time, Mendy couldn't come up with a heroic save. Norway now leads 1-0, just before halftime.

Four minutes have been added to the clock after a fast-moving first half.

Norway's Martin Ødegaard just had a prime chance on net in the 37th minute. Erling Haaland sent a pass into the box, where Ødegaard had space in front of the net. He made a left-footed shot, but Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy came up with another brilliant point-blank save.

Norway would be winning 2-0 now if not for Mendy's coming up big.

In the 34th minute, Norway looped a pass upfield toward star Erling Haaland, who started running with the ball in the air. But the ball hit him in the back and bounced away and what seemed like a promising run ... fizzled.

Haaland hasn't had much space or opportunity to work early on here. Senegal has been dominating possession, controlling the ball for 57% of the match so far.

Norway's fans have taken residence in the stands behind Senegal's net in this half, roaring at every opportunity their team has created thus far.

Senegal's Mendy has kept his composure despite getting an earful of the screams and chanting from the crowd throughout three levels of the stadium's seating.

Around 14 minutes into the game, Norway's captain, Martin Ødegaard, sent the ball soaring above the net but ran right over to work the crowd into a frenzy anyway. As the players broke away for the hydration break at minute 23, the fans began their infamous "Ro!" chant to emulate the Vikings.

French standout Ousmane Dembélé scored his first World Cup goal, and this one has been put to bed in the 66th minute.

Iraq's keeper slipped just a bit as he played the ball out, and France's Bradley Barcola intercepted, feeding Michael Olise and then to Dembélé, who fired it in from short range.

Dembélé, with the weight off his shoulders, was then subbed out as a World Cup goal scorer.

Less than 15 minutes into the game, Norway has subbed out defender Julian Ryerson. He appeared to be grimacing as he came off the field. Marcus Holmgren Pedersen has come on to replace him.

Both teams appear evenly matched early on. Norway has had the best scoring chance so far, with Kristoffer Ajer's header off a corner kick that was saved by the Senegalese goalkeeper.

France went up 2-0 on a terrible mistake by Iraq's Zaid Tahseen and goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.

Tahseen made what should have been a routine pass back to his keeper, but he struck it a shade too hard.

Basil just wasn't ready for it, and the ball trickled over to France's Ousmane Dembélé, who fed it to Mbappe for the easiest goal the dynamic duo will ever cash in.

The goal was a heartbreaker, as Iraq had just started to get its act together and looked relatively competitive with mighty France.

On a third consecutive corner kick play early on in this game, Kristoffer Ajer hits a header in a close call directly in front of Senegal's net.

Senegalese keeper Édouard Mendy made a spectacular save to keep Senegal alive in the third minute. Norway won a fourth corner kick, but Senegal finally managed to get the ball out of its defensive half and turn the press onto Norway.

It took more than two hours for halftime intermission to come to a rain-soaked end for France and Iraq.

Kylian Mbappe during the second half.  Hannah Peters / FIFA via Getty Images

Les Bleus have dominated play but lead just 1-0 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

It's been raining on and off for a few hours now, but we're underway here! We'll see whether this game eventually has a weather delay, like the France vs. Iraq game had in Philadelphia.

With the group stage closing out in the coming days, Senegal is looking to get at least one point on the board before the night is out.

The team faced a tough loss against France in its first game at this very stadium last week. Head coach Pape Thiaw told reporters after the loss that tonight's game against Norway would be a "decisive match" for the African team.

If it cannot win or draw tonight, it still may have a chance if beats Iraq. Eight slots are available for third-place teams to advance to the Round of 32.

France is on track for another win against Iraq tonight if it can maintain the lead after such a long rain delay, which would clinch its spot in the knockout rounds. Norway has already beat Iraq and is set to play France on Friday.

The weather-delayed second half should get rolling again at 7:50 p.m., according to World Cup broadcaster Fox.

France leads Iraq 1-0 in this match, which has been delayed by severe weather in and around Philadelphia.

Norway superstar Erling Haaland made his World Cup debut last week, scoring two goals in a 4-1 win over Iraq in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Shortly afterward, the Norwegian team apparently arrived in New York City, site of Norway's game tonight against Senegal, and Haaland got a chance to play tourist.

He posted photos of himself in Times Square and outside Katz’s Delicatessen, the famous restaurant on Houston Street that is popular among tourists and was used as a location for an iconic scene in the 1989 movie "When Harry Met Sally."

Cheers erupted here in the stadium as both the Norwegian and Senegalese players took the pitch to being their warmup drills.

Fans cheer on players warming up ahead of the Norway v. Senegal game at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey. Doha Madani / NBC News

There's a heavy presence of Norway fans in the stadium as their red shirts, jerseys and flags stand out in the crowd. But Senegal supporters stand strong holding their flags on the opposite end of the field.

After nearly two hours of mild weather, it's getting damp once again at MetLife Stadium.

The skies above the stadium remain gray as clouds loom overhead. Thunderstorms are expected to hit the area tonight, but the Norway-Senegal match is still scheduled to start on time at 8 p.m. ET.

There's still no update on the return to play in the France-Iraq game in Philadelphia after an initial hope that teams would warm up at 6:30 p.m. ET.

No players have returned to the field, but fans are back in seats, which could be a positive sign the game will resume soon.

About two hours before the scheduled 8 p.m. ET kickoff, there are lots of Norwegian and Senegalese fans milling about the stadium. Walking around the concourse, I spotted lots of ponchos, of course, but also some fans draping themselves in their countries' flags as an extra layer of protection against the elements. I saw quite a few Norway fans wearing Viking hats, too.

This match might not kick off again until 7 p.m., Fox Sports is reporting.

The players are expected to slowly make their way back to the Lincoln Financial Field pitch at about 6:30 p.m., with warmups starting at around 6:40 p.m., the broadcaster said.

As long as conditions calm down as expected, the second half could start at 7 p.m.

Philadelphia's match is under a weather suspension, and it is unclear when the teams will return.

Fans at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia today. Roberto Schmidt / AFP via Getty Images

The French and Iraqi teams have not returned to the pitch, and fans have been told to seek shelter in the stadium. Screens in the stadium warn of a thunderstorm approaching.

The Lions of Mesopotamia have to be delighted they're headed to the dressing room down by just a goal.

After Mbappé's opening tally, France kept up the pressure, and it seemed like a second goal was coming soon. But Iraq stood firm and went into intermission with hope.

France outshot Iraq 7-2, but to the naked eye, this match seemed even more one-sided than that.

Iraqi defender Hussein Ali, No. 3, and French forward Kylian Mbappe, No. 10. Jewel Samad / AFP via Getty Images

Iraq can't slow down the French attack, but maybe Mother Nature can.

Rain started coming down hard in later in the first half, sending fans racing for cover and affecting play on the pitch.

Around 3:15 p.m. ET this afternoon, a horde of Norwegian fans gathered outside Madison Square Garden, awaiting their NJ Transit train to this evening's match against Senegal. As they waited, a few dozen or so of them sat on the ground on 33rd Street and mimed a group Viking row.

Norwegian supporters gather yesterday in Times Square ahead of today's match. Lokman Vural Elibol/ / Anadolu via Getty Images

Videos also circulated on social media of Norwegian fans doing the same row in Times Square and on the New York City subway. Safe to say they're excited for tonight's game against Senegal, no matter the weather.

At the hydration break, Iraq took its primary goal-scoring threat, Aymen Hussein, off the pitch in favor of Ali Alhamdi.

It wasn't obvious what forced out Hussein, the Iraqi captain, but the most obvious explanation would be an injury.

Marta of Brazil in the field during the Women's International Friendly match in Sao Paulo. Paulo Dias / Eurasia Sport Images via Getty Images

Brazilian legend Marta made history in 2019 by scoring her 17th World Cup goal, which at the time was more than any other male or female athlete in FIFA history.

Today, Messi broke her record with two against Austria, putting him at 18 goals with potentially more to come in the next few weeks. It's unclear whether Marta, two years older than Messi, will have an opportunity to retake her title.

Marta, 40, has gone back and forth on whether she will compete in the 2027 Women's World Cup. She still plays for the national team on a regular basis but has said it will depend on her fitness coming into the tournament.

Next year's Women's World Cup will be hosted in Brazil, giving Marta the chance to reclaim her throne in front of the fans in her home country.

This match has been played almost exclusively in Iraq's final third. So this break for water could not have come at a better time for the Lions of Mesopotamia.

France has outshot Iraq 5-0.

Kylian Mbappé, center, celebrates with teammates Dayot Upamecano, left, and Jules Koundé, after scoring France's first today. Shaun Botterill / FIFA via Getty Images

That was almost too easy.

Mbappe's left -footed screamer from just outside the area overpowered goalkeeper Ahmed Basil, who got fingertips on the ball, which found the back of the net.

A blowout could be in the making.

Kylian Mbappé is already showing he could be a problem all night in Philadelphia.

Mbappé's big run in the sixth minute forced an awkward takedown by Iraq's Amir Alammari, who drew a yellow card for his troubles.

Lionel Messi of Argentina Dallas Stadium today. Pablo Morano / BSR Agency via Getty Images

Lionel Messi might be the greatest goal scorer in World Cup history, but, as is cautioned about rearview mirrors: Objects are closer than they appear.

France's Kylian Mbappé goes into tonight's game with 14 World Cup goals, so he's not too far off Messi's 18.

As France is a heavy favorite over Iraq, it's not impossible for Mbappé, 27, to make up some ground on Messi, 38.

It was pouring down as the FIFA media shuttle was driving into the stadium here, but the weather has given us all a momentary reprieve just now.

There was what I guessed to be about an inch of rain on the asphalt in the MetLife Stadium parking lots as I walked to the media gate to check in for today's Norway-Senegal match. The stands are still mostly empty, though some fans are starting to trickle in.

I can spot about three men in Norwegian shirts and bucket hats underneath their translucent ponchos with three hours still to go before the game begins.

The seating bowl at MetLife Stadium was briefly cleared during a downpour about four hours before Norway and Senegal were scheduled to meet in a World Cup match tonight, because of possible flooding in the forecast.

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for parts of New York City and New Jersey that included Bergen County, where MetLife Stadium is located. Roads leading to the stadium had standing water four hours before the scheduled 8 p.m. kickoff.

“Showers and potential thunderstorms with high amounts of moisture are expected to move through the area this afternoon and tonight,” the NWS said. “These showers will have the potential to produce up to around 2 inches of rainfall per hour. These rates could result in flash flooding mainly over urban and poor drainage areas.”

The starting 11 squads taking the pitch in Philadelphia.

French manager Didier Deschamps plans to run out: Lucas Digne, Dayot Upamecano, Jules Koundé, William Saliba, Manu Koné, Adrien Rabiot, Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola in front of goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Iraq boss Graham Arnold will send out: Hussein Ali, Zaid Tahseen, Akam Hashim, Merchas Doski, Ibrahim Bayesh, Zidane Iqbal, Amir Alammari, Zaid Ismael, Ahmed Qasem and Aymen Hussein in front of goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.

NBC News' Jesse Kirsch reports from South Beach on Scottish fans' taking over Miami ahead of Wednesday's Scotland vs. Brazil World Cup match.

Miami welcomes Scotland fans and 'Tartan Army' ahead of World Cup match

02:35

With its 2-0 win today, Argentina clinched a spot in the knockout stage of the World Cup.

Argentina sits atop Group J with a plus-five goal differential. It still has one match to go against Jordan in group play. Expect stars such as Messi to see limited time in that one.

Other teams that have already qualified for the next round are Mexico, the U.S. and Germany.

Another incredible performance from the ageless Lionel Messi today.

The legend scored two more goals, bringing his 2026 World Cup total to five and his career total to 18, the most for any player in World Cup history, men’s or women’s.

Lionel Messi just knocked in his second goal of the game.

After a Messi pass nearly set up a score for Julián Álvarez, the rebound eventually made its way to Messi. His first attempt was blocked, but he took another shot, which he buried into the right corner of the net.

That’s now five goals for Messi at the 2026 World Cup.

Lionel Messi scores Argentina's second goal. Francois Nel / Getty Images

Austria is down to precious few minutes as it looks for an equalizer. An Argentina win would move them to 2-0 in group play.

Nico González just made a great run into the box, but his shot attempt was blocked by Kevin Danso, who has stepped up multiple times this game to ruin Argentina chances.

Can Austria make one more push late in this match?

Austria’s Konrad Laimer was carded after a rough tackle, and then Argentina’s Facundo Medina was carded for shoving Laimer in response.

Konrad Laimer of Austria reacts after receiving a yellow card. Michael Steele / Getty Images

Argentina came incredibly close to its second goal. Off a corner kick, Nico González unleashed a strong header toward an open net, but his attempt barely missed wide right.

Argentina is still in control so far, and Lionel Messi has not been any less aggressive since scoring in the first half.

Lionel Messi tried to score another with his legendary left foot, but this time his shot was deflected out of bounds by Alexander Schlager.

Argentina nearly just extended its lead, but Enzo Fernández’s shot was skillfully blocked by Austria’s Kevin Danso.

And here’s where we stand:

Argentina leads in expected goals, possession, shots on goal and accurate passes made.

Austria has had some moments offensively, but needs to turn up the pressure as this match continues.

Does Messi have another goal in him? Can Austria equalize?

The FIFA fan festival in Philadelphia is done for the day due to weather. There are storms in the northeast that could affect multiple matches today.

A historic first half, as Lionel Messi is now the record holder for most goals scored at the men’s World Cup.

Austria needs to find its footing after the dramatic half. Austria has created some chances, but has yet to record a shot on goal.

Austria is on the hunt for an equalizer after Messi’s record-setting score.

Posch was carded for a reckless tackle on Argentina’s Thiago Almada.

Goal! Lionel Messi has just set the record for career goals at the men’s World Cup, scoring his 17th for Argentina in his sixth tournament.

Off a pass from Facundo Medina, Messi just banged in a one-timer with his left foot to give Argentina a 1-0 lead over Austria.

Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's first goal against Austria. Charlotte Wilson / Getty Images

We just crossed the 35-minute mark of the first half. Lionel Messi has been knocking on the door for a goal, but Austria has held firm so far.

Another chance for Lionel Messi! After a pass to Enzo Fernández was deflected by Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager, Messi had a shot at a relatively unprotected net, but an Austria defender blocked the kick.

Fun match so far, with Lionel Messi threatening on multiple occasions to score a record 17th goal in World Cup play. We’re scoreless with roughly 20 minutes to go until stoppage time.

Messi just had a great run into the middle of the box, but when looking for an extra touch at the last second, he failed to put a great shot on net.

Argentina's Lionel Messi in action with Austria's Kevin Danso during the match on Monday. Maria Lysaker / Imagn Images

After the penalty miss by Messi in the ninth minute, Austria has settled down and largely controlled the action the last five minutes of the match. We’re now more than 15 minutes into the first half, and Argentina is still looking to rebound after the shocking miss.

Lionel Messi just had a golden chance to set the record for career goals scored at the World Cup, but after a slow approach, he missed his penalty shot wide right.

After a lengthy review, Argentina has been awarded a penalty after the tackle on Lautaro Martinez.

Lionel Messi hit Lautaro Martínez with a perfect pass in the box, but Martinez was taken down by Xaver Schlager and Stefan Posch, preventing a clean shot at a goal.

We have kickoff in Dallas. Lionel Messi is one goal away from the record for most career goals at the World Cup.

For Argentina:

For Austria:

Map out the road to the final and pick your favorite team to take home the world’s biggest prize.

Iran left a message in their SoFi Stadium locker room yesterday thanking Los Angeles for its hospitality during the World Cup and saying they are leaving with dignity after a 0-0 draw with Belgium kept alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.

Los Angeles hosted both of Iran’s Group G matches so far, with the team returning to their base in Tijuana, Mexico, between games.

Iran have spent the tournament based in Tijuana, commuting to the U.S. for their matches because of restrictions surrounding their stay in the country, while several Iran’s team staff and officials have been banned.

After Iran played to a draw yesterday at SoFi Stadium, its second draw as many matches this World Cup, the team’s coach began his postmatch assessment by backing up six months.

Among the many elements of Iranian society thrown into disarray in late February by joint strikes by the U.S. and Israel was the country’s soccer infrastructure. Its domestic league stopped playing. Iran’s top Iranian soccer official expressed doubt that the country would play in this World Cup — co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada — because of security concerns; when the country ultimately stayed in the 48-team field, the location of its home training base was changed from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico. Several pre-tournament warmup games were canceled.

“I think that we came to World Cup in the worst condition possible,” coach Amir Ghalenoei said through an interpreter. “This is something that I wanted all the world to know.”

Dan Le Batard and the Shipping Container unpack Cristiano Ronaldo's nightmarish showing for Portugal and discuss how he could provide much more value as a match-dependent substitute, but his sports ego won't allow it.

Germany central defender Nico Schlotterbeck will miss the rest of the World Cup and will be sidelined for several months after picking up an ankle ligament injury in their 2-1 Group E victory over Ivory Coast on Saturday, the team said today.

Schlotterbeck, a starting centerback, was injured early in the game and was replaced at halftime by Antonio Ruediger. A scan yesterday revealed the player had torn a ligament in his left ankle.

“Schlotterbeck suffered an injury to the medial collateral ligament in his left ankle ... and will be out for several months. The defender of German runners-up Borussia Dortmund will, for the time being, remain with the team in the USA,” the team said in a statement.

Nico Schlotterbeck of Germany receives medical attention Saturday.  Michael Miller / ISI Photos via Getty Images

Excitement is building across downtown Dallas as Lionel Messi and Argentina prepare to play Austria today at Dallas Stadium.

The defending World Cup champions are expected to draw massive crowds to North Texas, with an estimated 100,000 Argentina fans expected to visit the area for the match. It will be the first of two group-stage games Argentina will play at Dallas Stadium.

“Oh — unbelievable — I think it speaks for itself every time he’s on the pitch,” Argentina fan Javier Godoy said, speaking of Messi.

The influx of fans is creating opportunities for local businesses, including young entrepreneur Fatima Aoun, who is selling custom necklaces.

La jornada dominical en la Copa del Mundo protagonizó lindos momentos en los duelos como la reivindicación de españoles y egipcios, además de la gran actuación de Cabo Verde.

Argentina's Lionel Messi aims to surpass Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s 16 goals to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer. Kylian Mbappé of France, a former teammate of Messi at Paris Saint-Germain, has 14 goals, having bagged a brace against Senegal in Group I, and could himself surpass the record with a hat trick against Iraq.

Like Mbappé, Norway’s Erling Haaland already has two goals in the World Cup. He’ll be aiming to add to that tally against Senegal later today.

Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates his second goal against Algeria on June 17. Tom Weller / dpa via Getty Images