Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager has drawn attention ahead of Austria’s second World Cup Group J match against Argentina in Dallas on Monday. The 30-year-old admitted in a press conference that he is a devoted fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, not Lionel Messi, yet he openly praised Messi’s extraordinary consistency and influence on the field. The match is crucial for Argentina to secure a knockout stage berth and for Messi to break the all-time World Cup goal record, which he currently shares with Miroslav Klose after a hat-trick against Algeria.

Austria, returning to the World Cup after 28 years, began their campaign strongly with a 3–1 win over Jordan, where Schlager performed impressively. However, he acknowledged that facing Argentina and Messi presents a completely different challenge. Schlager described Messi’s presence as creating a unique psychological pressure on opponents and an inspiring energy within his own team.

Schlager expressed determination to give his best to stop Messi’s magic, as fans await whether the Argentine captain can claim the record outright in this high-stakes encounter.