Lionel Messi has added yet another chapter to football history, becoming the highest-scoring player in FIFA World Cup history after scoring twice in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Argentine captain entered the match level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals. Having already scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening match against Algeria, Messi needed just one more goal to move into sole possession of the record.
The historic moment arrived in the 38th minute. After missing an earlier penalty, Messi found the net to score his 17th World Cup goal, overtaking Klose and becoming the tournament’s most prolific goalscorer. He added another in stoppage time to take his tally to 18 World Cup goals and five goals in the current tournament.
The victory secured Argentina’s place in the knockout stage with one group match still to play and reinforced the team’s status as one of the leading contenders to lift the trophy in North America.
Messi’s latest achievement comes nearly two decades after he scored his first World Cup goal during the 2006 tournament in Germany. Since then, he has appeared in six World Cups, won the tournament in Qatar in 2022, collected two Golden Ball awards and become the player with the most World Cup appearances in history.
What makes the record particularly remarkable is its longevity. Few players remain at the highest level deep into their thirties, yet Messi continues to shape the biggest matches in world football. At 38, he remains the focal point of Argentina’s attack and a decisive figure on the sport’s grandest stage.
With Argentina already through to the knockout rounds and several matches potentially still ahead, Messi now has the opportunity to extend a record that many believed would stand for generations.
For a player whose career has already redefined what is possible in football, the latest milestone serves as another reminder that the Messi era is still producing history.
