Argentina's forward number 10 Lionel Messi celebrated with his teammates after scoring the second goal in the 2026 World Cup Group J match against Austria. This game took place at Dallas Stadium in Arlington on June 22, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Lionel Messi made history on Monday by becoming the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer. He scored twice as Argentina won 2-0 against Austria, moving into the last 32 of the tournament.
Messi scored his first goal in the 38th minute. He finished low into the net, bringing his total World Cup goals to 17. This record was previously held by Miroslav Klose, who had 16 goals.
In stoppage time, Messi added another goal, pushing the ball through a crowd of defenders. This goal brought his record to 18, sealing Argentina’s win.
The eight-time Ballon D’Or winner is set to turn 39 on Wednesday. Earlier in the game, he had a chance to break the record when he missed a penalty kick in the eighth minute, sending the ball wide of the post.
Seven minutes before half-time, Messi made sure to score. He placed his shot perfectly, beyond the reach of Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
His second goal came in the fifth minute of stoppage time. This brought his tally in the tournament to five goals, following his hat-trick in Argentina’s opening win against Algeria, which ended 3-0 last week.
With this victory, Argentina has secured a spot in the knockout rounds of the tournament. They could also take the top position later on Monday if Jordan does not beat Algeria.
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