Austria face Messi and Argentina with Group J on the line

Messi and the world champions tonight

This is the one. Austria face Argentina in Group J at 18:00 UK time, and Lionel Messi is chasing the all-time World Cup scoring record (1). Ralf Rangnick's side went into the tournament with genuine momentum, the coach just signed through to Euro 2028, the squad is built on Bundesliga steel, and the Jordan win in the opener made this the group-defining night (1). Argentina are the holders. You knew this fixture would decide who tops the group.

How to watch

ARD are broadcasting live in Germany (2). RMC Sport have it in France (5). Kickoff is 18:00 UK, 19:00 in central Europe (3). Full match coverage is rolling on the Guardian live blog (1).