Lionel Messi scored twice to become the all-time leading goalscorer in men's World Cup history, surpassing Miroslav Klose, as Argentina defeated Austria 2-0 in their Group J match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Texas, US, on June 23. The 38-year-old Argentine captain now has 18 World Cup goals, two clear of Klose's 16.
Messi's record-breaking performance
Messi opened the scoring in the 38th minute, converting a clever dummy from Thiago Almada to calmly finish into the bottom corner. He added a second in stoppage time (95th minute) after a swift counter-attack, sealing the victory and completing his brace. The first goal moved him past Klose, and the second extended his lead at the top of the all-time scoring chart.
Despite missing a penalty in the sixth minute—sending his effort wide after a VAR-awarded spot kick—Messi remained focused. "Honestly, I don't know. I don't really even remember them. I'm tired, I don't have much energy left and I'm finding it hard to think straight. I'm just going to enjoy this moment and celebrate it with my team-mates," Messi said, as quoted by FIFA. He added, "Today, there was that [missed] penalty, but perhaps I wouldn't have scored the other goals if it had gone in."
Historic milestone and tournament lead
Messi also became just the second player in men's FIFA World Cup history to score four or more goals in three different editions of the tournament (2014, 2022, and 2026), according to Opta. The only other player to achieve this feat is Klose. With five goals in two matches in the ongoing World Cup—including a hat-trick against Algeria in the opener—Messi tops the tournament's scoring chart.
The 38-year-old has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches, equalling the all-time record held jointly by France's Just Fontaine and Brazil's Jairzinho. His brace also helped Argentina secure a 2-0 win over a resilient Austrian side that pressed energetically in the first half after Messi's early penalty miss.
Argentina's tactical adjustments secure victory
Austria troubled the defending champions for much of the first half, but Argentina managed the game well through tactical substitutions from head coach Lionel Scaloni around the 64th and 65th minutes. Introducing fresh legs in Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Gonzalez allowed Argentina to exploit spaces as Austria committed players forward in search of an equaliser. The strategy paid off deep into stoppage time when Messi led a counter-attack and finished clinically to seal the win.
The victory moves Argentina to the top of Group J with six points from two matches, confirming their place in the last 32. Messi's milestone comes just one day before his 39th birthday, adding a personal highlight to Argentina's campaign to defend their World Cup title.
