Key events

Please sit down with a cold beverage and enjoy Nick Ames’ preview of the game. I particularly enjoyed this passage.

The scene is set for Messi to imbue the date with fresh significance. Scaloni was asked what he would wish for his captain, who is competing here while his father, Jorge, undergoes medical treatment, when he turned 39 on Wednesday. “My wish is for him to be happy,” he said. Messi and Argentina, both in radiant form, aim to continue bringing the joy.

Conceding a goal to Jordan – ranked 68th in the world – probably isn’t filling Austrian fans with confidence ahead of facing Lionel Messi, who will surely become the World Cup’s most prolific goalscorer sooner rather than later. No offence to Jordan, but this is Messi we’re talking about here.

I guess the question for Argentina is where their goals come from if Messi has an off day. Lautaro Martínez can be profligate, missing as often as scoring, and the 4-4-2 shape that Lionel Scaloni likes can make it hard for the midfielders to get in on the scoring action. Thiago Almada will have to provide a threat from the left, but the Atlético Madrid wideman only managed four goals and two assists across 40 club appearances in all competitions in the season just gone.

Romano Schmid may not have been a name familiar to many outside Austria and Germany before this World Cup, but he got his nation’s tournament off to an eye-catching start with a stellar strike from distance against Jordan. He starts on the right-wing today.

Romano Schmid player profile

Swot up on Austria before the game with our handy team guide. Led by Ralf Rangnick, the high priest of high pressing himself, they are a super solid outfit, keen to enjoy their first World Cup since 1998 after qualifying for three successive European Championships.

While we’re counting down to kick-off, I will share the official Austria World Cup anthem, which my colleague Daniel Harris shared with me. It’s an absolute bop in fairness.

Team news

Argentina: E.Martínez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Medina; De Paul, Mac Allister, Fernández, Almada; Messi, Lautaro Martínez.

Subs: Musso, Senesi, Tagliafico, Montiel, Paredes, Barco, Álvarez, Lo Celso, Rulli, Palacios, González, Simeone, Paz, Otamendi, Lopez.

Austria: A.Schlager; Posch, Danso, Alaba, Laimer; Seiwald, X.Schlager; Schmid, Sabitzer, Wanner; Gregoritsch.

Subs: Affengruber, Arnautović, Grillitsch, Wiegele, Pentz, Kalajdzic, Lienhart, Mwene, Chukwuemeka, Ljubicic, Wimmer, Prass, Friedl, Svoboda, Schopf.

Austria’s rivalry with Germany is such that they may not be too upset if Messi scores today … as he will surpass Miroslav Klose’s World Cup scoring record. Then-again, there is a big German flavour to this Austrian side with Rangnick in charge and of course many of their players based in the German Bundesliga.

Aside from conceding a sloppy goal to tournament debutants Jordan, Austria were fairly impressive in their first group outing. Defeat today. however, would set up a nervy final game against Algeria, where qualification for the knockout rounds will likely be on the line. The two other Group J teams meet in several hours’ time in San Francisco.

Those of a Manchester United persuasion may want to look away … Ralf Rangnick speaking at a press conference klaxon. Photograph: Wu Zhizhao/VCG/Getty Images

Preamble

Hello and welcome to Monday’s first hit of World Cup action. The holders are in Texas to take on Ralf Rangnick’s Austria in a game that will probably decide who tops Group J. All the focus will be on Argentina and Lionel Messi after his brilliant hat-trick in their opener against Algeria last week. Just one goal today will mean he is out on his own as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer.

It has been a complicated couple of weeks for Messi, whose family confirmed last Thursday that his father Jorge is undergoing medical treatment for an undisclosed illness. An Argentinian TV host resigned after falsely reporting that Jorge, 68, had died. Messi was tearful at times in the opener in Kansas City but he has the chance to make more history in Dallas today.

Austria have a legendary veteran forward of their own in Marko Arnautovic, who finally got on the scoresheet 112 minutes into their opening 3-1 win over Jordan. After coming off the bench at half-time, the 37-year-old had a goal disallowed and caused an own goal before converting a late penalty to seal the points.

Kick-off at Dallas Stadium is noon local time, 6pm BST and 3am AEST. Feel free to get in touch with me via email.

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Corinthia Mes