CORNERFLICK
Argentina’s players were left in awe of Lionel Messi after his double in the 2-0 win over Austria secured progression and took his World Cup record to 18 goals.
In the mixed zone, the questions quickly moved away from the match itself and towards Messi’s latest milestone. Lisandro Martínez, who had a strong game in defence, said there was “nothing left to say” about the captain and urged people to appreciate him. He added that Argentina had deserved the win and had played intelligently.
Leandro Paredes, Messi’s close friend and a senior midfielder, was just as effusive. He described what they had seen as “madness” and said Messi continued to surprise the squad. Paredes also thanked the national team medical staff, saying his own return from injury had been hard and that his place at the tournament had been in doubt.
Argentina now move on with six points, with clear unity building around their captain inside the camp.