The Crossbill Sports Desk
Lionel Messi etched his name deeper into football history on Monday (June 22), becoming the highest scorer in World Cup history after netting twice in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria in Group J.
The brace took the Argentine captain to 18 World Cup goals, moving him ahead of former Germany striker Miroslav Klose and securing Argentina’s place in the knockout stage of the 2026 tournament.
Having entered the match level with Klose on 16 goals following his hat trick against Algeria in Argentina’s opening game, Messi missed an early chance to claim the record outright when he failed to convert a penalty in the ninth minute. However, the 38-year-old made amends before halftime, curling in a finish from a cutback in the 38th minute, before adding another deep into stoppage time to set a new benchmark.
His tally also takes him past Brazilian great Marta, who scored 17 goals in Women’s World Cup competition. France star Kylian Mbappé later joined Klose on 16 goals after scoring twice in his side’s 3-0 win over Iraq.
"There were moments when I was really angry about missing the penalty, but I was able to make up for it," Messi said, reported Associated Press.
The Argentine superstar had equalled Klose’s mark with a hat trick in the 3-0 win over Algeria on June 16, his first World Cup hat trick and the 11th of his international career. Remarkably, Messi’s World Cup journey began exactly 20 years earlier, when he scored his maiden tournament goal against Serbia and Montenegro on June 16, 2006, as an 18-year-old.
Messi has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches dating back to 2022 and has become the first player to appear in six editions of the men’s World Cup. His latest goals raised his international tally for Argentina to 122, leaving only Cristiano Ronaldo, with 143 goals for Portugal, ahead of him.
Argentina’s victory also made Messi the player with the most wins in men’s World Cup history.
"Beyond anything I'm so happy for the win," Messi said,
"It was huge, tough and difficult. It would allow us to be relaxed to what's ahead. All matches in this World Cup are very even, very intense. I'm enjoying this moment and craving to enjoy with my teammates."
Messi’s first goal came after Thiago Almada allowed Facundo Medina’s pass to run through to him, catching Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager off balance. In injury time, after Schlager blocked his initial effort, Messi fired home through a crowd of defenders to extend his record.
The forward, who turns 39 on Wednesday and whose father is unwell back in Argentina, has scored all five of his country’s goals in the tournament so far. Since turning 35, he has now accumulated 12 World Cup goals.
Argentina, meanwhile, stretched their unbeaten run in the competition to eight matches since their surprise defeat to Saudi Arabia at the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. With six points from two matches, the defending champions have officially advanced to the round of 32 and will conclude their Group J campaign against Jordan in Texas.
The brace took the Argentine captain to 18 World Cup goals, moving him ahead of former Germany striker Miroslav Klose and securing Argentina’s place in the knockout stage of the 2026 tournament.
Having entered the match level with Klose on 16 goals following his hat trick against Algeria in Argentina’s opening game, Messi missed an early chance to claim the record outright when he failed to convert a penalty in the ninth minute. However, the 38-year-old made amends before halftime, curling in a finish from a cutback in the 38th minute, before adding another deep into stoppage time to set a new benchmark.
His tally also takes him past Brazilian great Marta, who scored 17 goals in Women’s World Cup competition. France star Kylian Mbappé later joined Klose on 16 goals after scoring twice in his side’s 3-0 win over Iraq.
"There were moments when I was really angry about missing the penalty, but I was able to make up for it," Messi said, reported Associated Press.
The Argentine superstar had equalled Klose’s mark with a hat trick in the 3-0 win over Algeria on June 16, his first World Cup hat trick and the 11th of his international career. Remarkably, Messi’s World Cup journey began exactly 20 years earlier, when he scored his maiden tournament goal against Serbia and Montenegro on June 16, 2006, as an 18-year-old.
Messi has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches dating back to 2022 and has become the first player to appear in six editions of the men’s World Cup. His latest goals raised his international tally for Argentina to 122, leaving only Cristiano Ronaldo, with 143 goals for Portugal, ahead of him.
Argentina’s victory also made Messi the player with the most wins in men’s World Cup history.
"Beyond anything I'm so happy for the win," Messi said,
"It was huge, tough and difficult. It would allow us to be relaxed to what's ahead. All matches in this World Cup are very even, very intense. I'm enjoying this moment and craving to enjoy with my teammates."
Messi’s first goal came after Thiago Almada allowed Facundo Medina’s pass to run through to him, catching Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager off balance. In injury time, after Schlager blocked his initial effort, Messi fired home through a crowd of defenders to extend his record.
The forward, who turns 39 on Wednesday and whose father is unwell back in Argentina, has scored all five of his country’s goals in the tournament so far. Since turning 35, he has now accumulated 12 World Cup goals.
Argentina, meanwhile, stretched their unbeaten run in the competition to eight matches since their surprise defeat to Saudi Arabia at the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. With six points from two matches, the defending champions have officially advanced to the round of 32 and will conclude their Group J campaign against Jordan in Texas.
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