Australia is back in the game with a goal!
Forward Craig Goodwin launched a long shot toward Argentina's goal, deflecting off an Argentine defender and into the net as keeper Emiliano Martinez looked on.
This closes the gap, with Argentina leading 2-1 in the 77th minute.
Argentina increases lead to 2 goals over Australia
Argentina now leads the Socceroos by two, thanks to a goal by Julián Álvarez in the 57th minute.
The forward capitalized on a critical mistake from Australian keeper Matt Ryan.
With Argentina applying pressure and the Aussies simply trying to get the ball out of their own half, Ryan took a pass back from one of his defenders and needed one too many touches to handle it. Álvarez pounced, robbing the ball from his feet and simply rolling it into the empty net.
Argentina looks firmly in control of this match, though there's plenty of time left to play.
Hospital says Brazilian soccer legend Pelé remains in stable condition
From CNN's Stefano Pozzebon in Bogota and Duarte Mendonca in London
Brazilian soccer icon Pelé remains in stable condition after he was admitted to a hospital in Sao Paulo on Tuesday.
Pelé was hospitalized for a “re-evaluation of the chemotherapy treatment over colon cancer identified in September 2021,” the Albert Einstein Israeli Hospital said in a statement released Saturday.
“He is continuing the treatment and his health condition remains stable,” according to the statement.
"He has shown good response to the respiratory infection care, not showing any worsening of his condition in the last 24 hours," it added.
Worries over Pelé's health come as the World Cup knockout round is underway in Qatar. Stars like France's Kylian Mbappé, England's Harry Kane and Brazil's Vinicius Jr. have voiced well-wishes for the icon.
There was also a drone tribute in Doha that depicted Pelé's iconic No. 10 jersey and spelled out "Pelé get well soon," according to FIFA.
Pelé helped lead Brazil to three World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
Second half kicks off between Argentina and Australia
The Aussies are looking for a key goal this next half as the Socceroos trail Argentina 1-0.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi's squad looks to continue 🇦🇷 dominance over 🇦🇺 — his side has only ever lost two meetings between the countries.
Fans from around the world have flocked to watch Lionel Messi play at Qatar 2022
From CNN's Ben Church
Everywhere you go in Doha over the past week, you'll hear people talking about Lionel Messi.
Thousands of people – creating a sea of blue and white – have come to watch their hero in what is likely to be his last World Cup tournament.
It seems you don’t need to be from Argentina to be a fan of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“I get to see the man himself,” Belal Ahmed, who traveled from the US to watch Messi play, told CNN Sport.
“It took a while, the flight from the US to Saudi Arabia was about 12 hours. I had a layover there for 24 hours and then got here (Doha) two hours later.
“I’m here to see other games, but yeah, mainly to see Messi.”
Messi is a name that seems to bridge any language barrier, with fans coming over and chanting the forward's name as Ahmed spoke with CNN.
Messi is undoubtedly the most popular player among fans in Doha, with many trying to find a ticket to watch him in the flesh.
The World Cup is the only trophy not yet in the superstar's cabinet, and the 35-year-old is in the last-chance saloon at Qatar 2022.
He has the Argentine squad ahead 1-0 after the first half of its match against Australia Saturday.
Read more about Messi fandom in Qatar here.
Argentina is ahead of Australia at halftime
Thanks to Lionel Messi, Argentina leads Australia 1-0 as we head into halftime.
GOAL! Argentina leads Australia 1-0
Superstar forward Lionel Messi just scored for Argentina, putting his squad up over Australia, 1-0.
After a free kick, Messi was able to glide the ball into the net in the 35th minute.
That was Messi's first goal in the knockout rounds of a World Cup, where he's now made 23 appearances. This match also marks his 1,000th career appearance for the national team.
The Argentine fans, who are making this sound like a home match for their squad, cheered wildly for Messi in what is likely his final World Cup.
Argentina vs Australia kicks off
Argentina now faces Australia's Socceroos at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Qatar.
Mathew Leckie's stunning goal against Denmark on Wednesday propelled Australia to the Round of 16.
The Argentine squad, led by Lionel Messi — whose 22 World Cup appearances are the most in the country's history — beat Poland to advance to the knockout round. It is likely Messi's last World Cup.
US star Pulisic says he's proud of "how far we’ve come" after loss to Netherlands
From CNN's Kevin Dotson and Homero De La Fuente
American star Christian Pulisic said he was proud of his squad after the US’ disappointing 3-1 loss to Netherlands at the World Cup.
“I’m really proud of this team, how far we’ve come,” Pulisic said. “I hope we showed a lot of people what we can do. It really is a shame, I thought. We deserved more from this tournament. End of the day, we couldn’t get it done, but I think there’s a lot we can be proud of.”
“It hurts a lot right now,” Pulisic continued. “We thought we could have advanced and done a lot more this time around, but I love these guys, and it’s a really special group that we have.”
Fellow US star Weston McKennie was teary-eyed when speaking after the loss, saying that the team "changed the way the world views American soccer."
“We had a mission from the beginning. You know, this four-year journey changed the way the world views American soccer — and I think with this tournament, the performances that we put in, I think we accomplished that,” McKennie said. “I mean, obviously we know this game could’ve gone either way. We could’ve won this game; we believed it. Obviously, soccer is a very unpredictable sport; there’s highs, there’s lows. I think we’re going to just use this as a part of this story and just have another four years to get prepared.”
With the 3-1 win over the US on Saturday, the Netherlands advanced to the Qatar World Cup quarterfinals.
