Sebastian Prodl helped Austria keep Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal at bay in Euro 2016 but there was disappointment for Adalberto Penaranda as Venezuela were beaten 4-1 by a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina in the quarter-finals of the Copa America overnight.

With Aleksandar Dragovic suspended following his sending off in the Austrians' 2-0 defeat to Hungary in their opening game of Group F, the Hornets centre-half made his first appearance in the tournament as the Real Madrid star and his teammates endured a frustrating night in Paris.

Ronaldo, who overtook Luis Figo as Portugal’s most capped player, spurned a gilt-edged opportunity to secure the win when he hit the post with a second-half penalty after being wrestled over by Martin Hinteregger.

The 31-year-old also saw a late header disallowed for offside, while he had another effort kept out by in-form goalkeeper Robert Almer, who made several crucial saves as Austria kept their first clean sheet for 14 games in a major tournament.

The draw keeps Austria bottom of the group, but with just three points separating Marcel Koller’s men from leaders Hungary, they still have all to play for when they take on Iceland on Wednesday.

Prodl’s club-mate Penaranda had started both of Venezuela’s previous two Copa America games, but he had to settle for being an unused substitute as his country’s run in the centenary tournament came to an end.

The 19-year-old looked on as Messi set up Gonzalo Higuain for the opener after just eight minutes in glorious fashion, lifting the ball over two midfielders and between both centre-halves for the Napoli striker to score.

Higuain made the most of a careless back pass to net his second in the 28th minute, but a minute before the break Venezuela missed a great opportunity to get back into the game when Luis Manuel Seijas' attempted Panenka penalty was easily saved by Sergio Romero.

Messi equalled Gabriel Batistuta’s record of 54 goals for his country on the hour when he finished off a one-two with Nicolas Gaitain that had sliced open the Venezuelan defence.

Salomon Rondon did pull one back ten minutes later when he headed home a fine Alejandro Guerra cross to give Venezuela the goal their creditable display merited. But a minute later the Barcelona star was at it again, setting up Tottenham’s Erik Lamela for the fourth as the Argentines advanced to a last-four clash with hosts USA.