14 Austria's midfield warrior: Laimer embraces the challenge of stopping Messi at his first World Cup

For Konrad Laimer, the 2026 World Cup represents the culmination of a career spent waiting for Austria's return to football's grandest stage. The 28-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder finally gets to experience a tournament that has eluded his nation since the 1998 edition in France, where Austria reached the group stage before finishing third in Group B behind Italy and Chile. Austria's 28-year absence from the World Cup stands as the longest gap between appearances for any European nation currently competing in the 2026 edition. Laimer contributed 16 goals across 47 appearances for Bayern Munich during the 2025-26 campaign, operating across central midfield, defensive midfield, and right-back positions with characteristic adaptability. His versatility has made him indispensable to both club and country, with Austria's head coach deploying him in 4 different roles across the last 12 international fixtures. The Salzburg-born midfielder spoke with evident emotion about representing Austria at a World Cup, acknowledging that the scarcity of such opportunities makes every moment infinitely precious. Austria has qualified for only 4 World Cup tournaments in their history, reaching the third place playoff in 1954 and the group stage in 1958, 1990, and 1998. Laimer described captain David Alaba as the inspirational figure who has elevated the entire squad's standards, noting that the Real Madrid defender's 105 international caps and Champions League pedigree provide invaluable guidance. The looming prospect of facing Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina, however, dominates the conversation. Messi has accumulated 106 international goals for Argentina across 187 appearances, adding 8 goals during Argentina's Qatar 2022 triumph where he won the Golden Ball. Laimer acknowledged that Messi remains the finest player on the planet despite his 39 years, pointing to the Argentine's 28 goals and 15 assists in 38 appearances for Inter Miami during the 2026 MLS season as evidence of his enduring brilliance. The Bayern Munich midfielder emphasized that stopping Messi requires collective defensive organization rather than individual assignments, noting that Argentina's 36-match unbeaten streak reflects a team unit far beyond any single player.