Messi breaks World Cup scoring record as Argentina secure knockout berth

Lionel Messi has become the all-time leading scorer in men’s World Cup history, netting his 17th career tournament goal during Argentina’s Group J fixture against Austria. The milestone was achieved in the 38th minute of the 2026 World Cup match held at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in Arlington, Texas, where the 38-year-old captain scored a precise left-footed finish to secure a 2-0 victory for the defending champions.

The goal, assisted by Facundo Medina and Thiago Almada, elevated Messi above Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who had held the record of 16 goals since the 2014 tournament. Messi had previously equaled the mark with a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening 3-0 win over Algeria, but it was this performance against Austria that firmly established his new status in football history.

Argentina secured their place in the knockout rounds with a game to spare, playing in front of a crowd of 70,649. The match began with a missed opportunity for the hosts, as Messi dragged a penalty wide in the ninth minute after Lautaro Martinez was fouled. This miss added to Messi’s historical struggles from the spot, having previously seen a penalty saved against Poland in 2022 and missed one in 2018.

Austria, managed by Ralf Rangnick and coming off a 3-1 victory over Jordan, struggled to contain the Argentine attack in the first half. They failed to register a shot on target before the break, with Austria captain David Alaba repeatedly denying Messi in promising positions. The visitors were content to sit back, though they posed slightly more threat in the second half.

Messi sealed the victory deep in injury time, capitalising on a rebound from a Julian Alvarez shot that was saved by Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. The result confirms Argentina’s progression to the last 32, maintaining their status as the team to beat in a tournament hosted across North America.