Lionel Messi became the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer as Argentina defeated Austria 2-0 to reach the last 32.
The Argentina captain scored twice in Dallas to take his World Cup tally to 18 goals, surpassing former Germany striker Miroslav Klose’s record of 16. The victory also secured Argentina’s place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Messi opened the scoring in the 38th minute with a first-time finish after a clever assist setup from Thiago Almada and Facundo Medina. The 39-year-old added his second goal deep into stoppage time, firing home from a tight angle to seal the win.
The Inter Miami star could have broken the record even earlier after Argentina were awarded a penalty in the opening minutes, but he sent his spot-kick wide. Despite the miss, Messi delivered another decisive performance and now leads the tournament scoring charts with five goals in two matches.
Defending champions Argentina have collected six points from their opening two Group J matches and join the United States, Mexico and Germany in the knockout stage.
Messi’s historic brace not only secured Argentina’s progress but also cemented his place as the greatest goalscorer in World Cup history.
