Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in men’s World Cup history by netting his 17th and 18th goals during Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria on Monday, according to an Associated Press report from Arlington, Texas. The win propelled the defending champions into the knockout stage of the 2026 tournament at AT&T Stadium, where a capacity crowd largely clad in Argentina’s sky blue and white roared in approval. Messi, who entered the match tied with Germany’s Miroslav Klose on 16 goals accumulated across four previous World Cups from 2002 to 2014, missed an early penalty before delivering in regulation and injury time.
The Associated Press account detailed how Messi spurned a ninth-minute spot kick by sending it wide to the right, yet recovered composure when he steered home a low drive from inside the area after a clever dummy by Thiago Almada on Facundo Medina’s pass. Reuters reported that the strike not only broke Klose’s men’s record but also moved Messi clear of the previous overall World Cup benchmark of 17 goals shared with Brazil’s Marta from the women’s game. FIFA historical records confirm Klose required 24 matches to reach his total while Messi has now achieved 18 across appearances in a record sixth tournament.
Messi told reporters after the match that there were moments when he was really angry about missing the penalty but that he was able to make up for it. He added that beyond anything he was so happy for the win because it was huge, tough and difficult and would allow the team to relax about what is ahead. The 38-year-old, who turns 39 in two days and was playing with an ailing father back home in Argentina, celebrated both goals with his teammates amid the pro-Argentine atmosphere under the stadium’s closed roof.
The AP report noted that the record arrived exactly 40 years to the day after the late Diego Maradona scored his renowned goal of the century in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal against England, a solo run that helped Argentina advance on its way to the title. Argentina’s squad features several players who contributed to the 2022 triumph in Qatar where Messi tallied seven goals including two in the final. Public references to Messi’s international career show he has now scored more than 110 times for his country, placing him atop the all-time list according to FIFA compilations.
Attendance figures placed the crowd at more than 80,000 with the vast majority supporting Argentina and many wearing the captain’s familiar number 10 jersey. Small groups of Austrian fans in red provided contrast but were outnumbered as temperatures outside reached the mid-30s Celsius before the air-conditioned venue offered relief. The result leaves Argentina well positioned in its group with the knockout rounds set to begin shortly after the completion of group play across the expanded 48-team competition.
In the waning seconds of injury time Messi added the 18th goal by converting a rebound after the Austrian goalkeeper turned away his initial effort, the AP said. The strike came after Austria had threatened sporadically but failed to convert chances against a disciplined Argentine defense. Messi’s performance capped a display that combined individual brilliance with team-oriented play as his side controlled large portions of the contest in sweltering conditions that tested all participants.
