Messi Breaks Two World Cup Records in One Match

Lionel Messi set two new records in his World Cup career on Monday during Argentina’s second group game against Austria.

The former Barcelona star first made an unwanted record before quickly achieving another one that shows his place among football's best players.

Messi became the player with the most missed penalties in FIFA World Cup history after failing to score from the spot during Argentina’s match at the 2026 tournament. This was his third missed penalty in World Cup history, surpassing several players who used to share the record.

But the 39-year-old quickly bounced back by scoring later in the match. This made him the leading scorer in the history of the FIFA Men’s World Cup.

With this goal, Messi moved past Germany’s Miroslav Klose and raised his total to 17 World Cup goals, the highest ever by any player in the tournament’s history.

Though the missed penalty was an unwanted record, his scoring milestone once again showed the amazing consistency of the Argentine star.

Messi made his World Cup debut in Germany in 2006 at just 18 years old and scored his first tournament goal against Serbia and Montenegro. Now, two decades later, he is still the face of Argentina’s national team and is one of the biggest stars at the 2026 World Cup.

Earlier in the tournament, Messi became the first men's player to play in six different World Cups. He also became the oldest player to score two goals in one World Cup match, breaking the record held by Cameroon legend Roger Milla.

His latest goal moved him ahead of Klose’s total of 16 goals. Brazil’s Ronaldo Nazário is third with 15 goals, while Germany’s Gerd Müller and France’s Kylian Mbappé have 14 goals each.

Messi, who finally lifted the World Cup trophy with Argentina in Qatar in 2022, has won eight Ballon d’Or awards and many other major titles during his career.

At an age when most players have stopped playing international football, Messi keeps rewriting the record books.

While one record on Monday was something he would prefer to avoid, the other reminded the football world why many see him as the greatest player of his generation.