Argentina and France will look to tighten their grip on places in the round of 32 when they headline Monday’s World Cup action, while Norway and Senegal meet in a fixture that could have a major bearing on Group I (kick-off 2am).
The day’s marquee encounter sees Argentina face Austria (kick-off 7pm) in a battle between two teams who opened their campaigns with victories. Lionel Scaloni’s side eased past Algeria 3-0 in their opener, while Austria impressed with a 3-1 win over Jordan to move level on points at the top of Group J.
Much of the build-up has centred on Lionel Messi, who starred with a hat-trick against Algeria and could break the World Cup scoring record should he find the net again.
Legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazário praised the Argentine’s extraordinary longevity. “Messi is 38 years old, my God! At 38, I had already retired four years earlier and weighed 120 kilos,” read a social media post attributed to L’Equipe.
Julian Alvarez has been recalled to Argentina’s attack, while Nicolás González starts on the left wing and Nahuel Molina comes in at right-back for the injured Gonzalo Montiel.
Austria, meanwhile, have quietly emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages and know a positive result would put them in a strong position heading into their final group match against Algeria. Ralf Rangnick has deployed the versatile Konrad Laimer at right-back, with captain David Alaba partnering Kevin Danso in central defence.
Later, France take on Iraq (kick-off 11pm) knowing victory could secure progression from Group I after Les Bleus opened with a convincing 3-1 win over Senegal. Kylian Mbappe was again at the forefront of Didier Deschamps’ attack as France established themselves among the early contenders.
Iraq, meanwhile, are under pressure after a 4-1 defeat to Norway in their opener, with another loss likely to leave the 2007 Asian champions facing an early exit.
The clash between Norway and Senegal could prove equally significant. Norway sit top of Group I after their emphatic win over Iraq, while Senegal know victory would throw the group wide open heading into the final round of fixtures.
Jordan face Algeria (kick-off 5am) in a must-win Group J encounter after both sides lost their opening matches.
