Messi breaks World Cup scoring record as Argentina secure knockout berth

Lionel Messi has become the all-time leading scorer in men’s FIFA World Cup history, surpassing Germany’s Miroslav Klose with a brace against Austria. The performance secured Argentina’s progression to the knockout stages of the 2026 tournament with a 2-0 victory at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Messi’s two goals increased his career World Cup tally to 18, breaking the previous record of 16 held by Klose. He entered the match tied with the German legend, having previously scored a hat-trick against Algeria in the opening round. His effort in the second game against Austria brought his tournament tally to five goals in two matches, establishing a clear lead in the race for the Golden Boot.

Following the match, Messi indicated that the physical toll of the tournament had diminished his capacity for reflection. When asked to identify his favourite goal from his 18 in World Cup history, the Argentine striker stated he was too exhausted to recall a specific moment. He described feeling low on strength and noted that his immediate focus was on rejoining his teammates.

France’s Kylian Mbappé remains the closest challenger to Messi’s records. Mbappé scored his third and fourth goals of the tournament against Iraq on the same day, moving to 16 career World Cup goals. This total ties him with Klose and places him just two goals behind Messi on the all-time list. Mbappé is also within one goal of Messi in the Golden Boot standings.

Norway’s Erling Haaland is also positioned closely behind in the race for the Golden Boot. Argentina’s final group stage match against Jordan is scheduled for four days after the victory over Austria. Messi, who is two days shy of his 39th birthday, will look to maintain his form as the tournament moves into the knockout phase.