Lionel Messi etched his name into World Cup history on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, by becoming the tournament's all-time leading scorer. The Argentina captain netted his 17th and 18th career World Cup goals in a 2-0 victory over Austria at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
Record-Breaking Performance
Messi surpassed former Germany striker Miroslav Klose, who held the previous record of 16 goals. The match also marked Messi's record-extending 28th World Cup appearance across six tournaments. Despite missing an early penalty in the 9th minute, Messi broke the deadlock before halftime and added a second goal in stoppage time.
According to match statistics, Argentina dominated with 2.54 expected goals (xG) against Austria's 0.45 xG, reflecting complete control over the game. Argentina outshot Austria 12 to 6 and registered four shots on target to Austria's one.
First Goal Makes History
Messi's historic 17th goal came in the 38th minute. Facundo Medina delivered a low cross into the box, Thiago Almada let the ball run, and Messi swept a first-time left-footed finish past Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. This moved him past Klose to become the sole all-time leading scorer.
Defensive Solidity and Tactical Control
Argentina's defense smothered the Austrian attack, limiting them to just one shot on target. Austria managed a quicker defensive press, averaging 19 seconds in ball recovery compared to Argentina's 21 seconds, and won three corners to Argentina's one. However, Austria lacked creative spark, while Argentina controlled possession with 50% of the ball (43% for Austria, 7% contested) and completed 504 passes.
Second Goal Seals Victory
In the 95th minute, Argentina caught Austria on a counter-attack. Julian Alvarez's initial shot was blocked, but Messi pounced on the rebound and threaded the ball through a crowd of defenders to seal the win and push his record to 18 goals. This brace brought Messi's total in the 2026 World Cup to five goals, following his hat trick in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria last week.
With the win, defending champions Argentina secured their place in the Round of 32.
