Messi breaks World Cup scoring record as Argentina reach knockouts
Lionel Messi added another milestone to his career on Monday, scoring twice in Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose, who had held the record with 16 goals since the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
Messi, playing at his sixth World Cup at age 38, opened the scoring in the 38th minute after Alexis Mac Allister's surge down the left wing set him up to guide the ball past Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. He added his second in second-half stoppage time, ramming the ball through a crowd of Austrian defenders.
The match, played at Dallas Stadium on June 22, saw Messi miss a penalty in the ninth minute after Lautaro Martinez was fouled in the area, a miss that would have given him a hat trick for the second consecutive game.
"I was angry about the penalty shot because I missed and my shot was terrible, but fortunately we managed to turn the tide of the game and take the lead," Messi told the Argentine daily Ole, according to a report by TASS. He described the match as "very even, very intense," adding, "Nobody gives anything away for free; at times today we struggled to play the way we wanted to—it was very scrappy and difficult to play—but it was important to pick up the six points to have a calmer week."
The victory moved Argentina to the top of Group J with six points, ahead of Austria on three, while Jordan and Algeria had yet to play their second-round match.
Argentina's qualification was confirmed with a 3-1 win over Jordan in their final group match on June 28 in Arlington, Texas. Giovani Lo Celso scored in the 19th minute, Lautaro Martinez added a penalty in the 31st, and Messi netted his fourth goal of the tournament in the 80th. Musa Al-Taamari pulled one back for Jordan in the 55th minute.
In the other Group J match that day, Austria drew 3-3 with Algeria, leaving Argentina at the top with nine points, followed by Austria and Algeria on four points each. All three advanced to the knockout round, while Jordan finished without a point.
The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States from June 11 to July 19, is the first edition to feature 48 teams, expanded from the previous 32-team format. Matches are being staged in 16 cities across the three host countries.
Messi's record-breaking performance drew praise from his Argentina team-mates, who called him the "greatest in history." Forward Julián Álvarez, recently recovered from an ankle injury, entered the match as a substitute.
Asked about his best goal of the tournament, Messi said, "I'm tired, I don't have much energy and it's hard for me to think at the moment." He added, "When the entire team gets together, we enjoy socializing, competing and everyday life. We also like people, joy, we try to maintain this dynamic and harmony, we are full of enthusiasm. However, we move step by step, it's a long way, it's difficult."
France captain Kylian Mbappé, who has 14 World Cup goals, will have a chance to close in on Messi's record when France face Iraq on Monday afternoon.