Argentina have made a perfect start to the World Cup, but their reliance on Lionel Messi's goals is a worrying trend for coach Lionel Scaloni. The 38-year-old superstar has scored all five of Argentina's goals so far, leaving the rest of the team without a single strike.
Against Austria, Messi's brace took him to 18 World Cup goals, surpassing Miroslav Klose's record and moving him ahead of Marta's overall tournament mark. However, the concern is not just about Messi's goals, but also his dominance in the final third, with seven shots and eight touches in the opposition box.
Scaloni needs to find a way to share the scoring burden with the rest of the team, particularly Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez, who have not scored yet. The team's defensive base looks strong, but their final-third output is becoming increasingly concentrated around Messi.
Austria's brave performance and spells of discomfort for Argentina serve as a warning for the knockout stages, where opponents will study and prepare to delay Messi's touches and crowd the zone around his left foot.
The final group game against Jordan presents an opportunity for Scaloni to widen the attacking load and find a more balanced approach. Argentina cannot reach the knockouts with the attack still reading like a one-man scoreboard.
