Austria skipper David Alaba knows his side will be up against it when they take on defending champions Argentina, led by the red-hot Lionel Messi, in their Group J clash of the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/football/article/fifa-world-cup-2026-south-africa-keeps-its-world-cup-hopes-alive-with-a-1-1-draw-against-the-czech-republic-23635803" rel="nofollow">FIFA World Cup</a> here on Tuesday.
Messi began the tournament with a stunning hat-trick in their 3-0 win over Algeria, and will be keen to sustain their momentum against Ralf Rangnick&rsquo;s side, who began their campaign with a convincing 3-1 win over Jordan.
<img title="David Alaba. Pic/AFP" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/AlabaMug_e.jpg" alt="David Alaba. Pic/AFP" width="1280" height="720" />David Alaba. Pic/AFP
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s incredible that Messi started such a tournament with a hat-trick. He is absolutely insane,&rdquo; said Alaba, before quickly stressing that <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/football/article/fifa-world-cup-2026-argentina-coach-lionel-scaloni-heaps-praise-on-lionel-messi-after-iconic-hat-trick-against-algeria-23635638" rel="nofollow">Argentina</a> are more than a one-man team.
&ldquo;We know what kind of opponent we&rsquo;re up against, what kind of quality they have in their ranks, even besides Messi, but also what they&rsquo;re capable of as a team,&rdquo; he added.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

“We know what kind of opponent we’re up against, what kind of quality they have in their ranks, even besides Messi, but also what they’re capable of as a team”

FIFA World Cup 2026: Austria skipper David Alaba heaps praise on Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi

FIFA World Cup 2026: NASA takes 'Trionda' to space

“We know what kind of opponent we’re up against, what kind of quality they have in their ranks, even besides Messi, but also what they’re capable of as a team,” said David Alaba

FIFA World Cup 2026 | 'He is absolutely insane': Austria skipper David Alaba on Lionel Messi

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast

Home / Sports / Football / Article / FIFA World Cup 2026 | 'He is absolutely insane': Austria skipper David Alaba on Lionel Messi